More public parks to become pet havens
Dozens more government-run parks will welcome pets from next week, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced on Thursday, raising the total number of pet-friendly parks to more than 170. The LCSD launched the “Inclusive Park for Pets” scheme in 2019, allowing people to visit public parks along with their pets. Starting next Tuesday, there will be 54 more pet-friendly parks across Hong Kong. Among them, 35 will be fully accessible to pets while the rest will feature designated areas for pets. The LCSD said additional support facilities such as dog excreta collection bins and hand-washing facilities will be provided, as well as additional cleaning services.   "The aim of Inclusive Parks for Pets is to enable members of the public who bring their pets into existing parks to use park facilities together in an inclusive environment, thereby promoting exchanges and integration in the community. When identifying suitable locations as Inclusive Parks for Pets, the department has considered different criteria, including the demand of the public for these facilities, size and location of the venues, ancillary facilities and their usage," an LCSD spokesman said. "The LCSD will consider the views of the public on the new arrangements and open up more venues for pets in the future if a positive response is received."