Hong Kong environment chief Tse Chin-wan said on Saturday that 31 restaurants have withdrawn from the new dog-friendly dining scheme two weeks after launch, while 70 warnings were issued.
Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said overall compliance was acceptable and expressed confidence that teething problems would be solved gradually.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department sent a team of 90 people who conducted 14,000 inspections in the two weeks since launch, issuing 70 verbal warnings and receiving 65 complaints.
The government initially granted permits to 940 restaurants and cafes after receiving more than 2,100 applications for a capped quota of 1,000 places.
Pet owners welcomed the initiative, noting that dining with pets is already common in mainland China, France and the United Kingdom, and several called the move long overdue.