Alert Bay dog licences: fees and how to get one
How do I get a dog licence in Alert Bay, and what does it cost?
Short answer
In Alert Bay, the Village issues dog licences, and every dog four months or older needs one. The fee is $10 a year for a spayed or neutered dog and $50 for one that is not. A licence expires on December 31.
Key facts
| Licence required | Yes. A resident may not keep a dog in the Village unless a licence has been issued. Licence fees apply to dogs four months of age and over.Animal Control Bylaw No. 737, s. 5.04; New Residents Information Package, September 10, 2026, Animal Control (New Residents Package) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingunless a licence under this Bylaw has first been issued. License fees for dogs four (4) months of age and over are collected each year by the Village of |
|---|---|
| Issued by | The Village of Alert Bay (its dog pound and animal control service also serve the ’Namgis First Nation and Whe-la-la-u).Animal Control Bylaw No. 737, s. 5.02; https://alertbay.civicweb.net/document/2340/OCP%202014.pdf, OCP s. 6.6 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingThe owner of every dog shall make application for a license and shall pay the required license Dog licenses are issued by the Village to offset |
| Fee, spayed or neutered | $10 a year for a spayed female or neutered male dog.New Residents Information Package, September 10, 2026, Animal Control (New Residents Package) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wording$10.00 for each spayed female dog and neutered male dog. |
| Fee, not spayed or neutered | $50 a year for an unspayed female or unneutered male dog.New Residents Information Package, September 10, 2026, Animal Control (New Residents Package) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wording$50.00 for each unspayed female dog and unneutered male dog. |
| Other fees and discounts | Replacement dog tag $2.50. Kennel fee $100.New Residents Information Package, September 10, 2026, Animal Control (New Residents Package) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingReplacement dog tag $2.50. Kennel fee $100.00. |
| Renewal | Every licence expires on December 31 of the year it is issued.Animal Control Bylaw No. 737, s. 5.03; New Residents Information Package, September 10, 2026, Animal Control (New Residents Package) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingshall expire on the thirty-first shall expire on the thirty-first (31st) of December each year. |
| How to get one | Apply to the Village of Alert Bay on the form the Village prescribes and pay the fee.Animal Control Bylaw No. 737, s. 5.02 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingThe owner of every dog shall make application for a license and shall pay the required license |
| Fine, unlicensed dog | Not confirmed. The Village's website does not state the fine for an unlicensed dog. |
| Bylaw | Animal Control Bylaw #737 requires the licence; the fee is set in the Village's Fees and Charges Bylaw (2024).Animal Control Bylaw No. 737, title; Bylaws and Regulations — Village of Alert Bay, Bylaws page, animal control · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingAnimal Control Bylaw #737 animal control 250-974-4188 See “Fees and Charges” for up to date rates. |
How it works
Under the Animal Control Bylaw 737, no one may keep a dog in the Village unless a licence has been issued for it. The Village's New Residents Package says licence fees apply to dogs four months of age and over. The Village's dog pound and animal control service also serve the 'Namgis First Nation and Whe-la-la-u.
Steps
- Apply to the Village of Alert Bay on the form the Village prescribes, and pay the fee. The bylaw does not say whether this is done in person or online, so call the Village Office at 250-974-5213 or visit 15 Maple Road.
- Put the tag on your dog.
- Renew each year, because every licence expires on December 31.
Good to know
- A replacement tag is $2.50 and a kennel fee is $100.
- No senior or early-payment discount was found.
- The bylaw says fees are set in the Village's current Fees and Charges bylaw. That document is a scanned image the handbook could not read, so ask the Village to confirm today's amounts.
- The fine for an unlicensed dog is not stated on the Village's website. Ask the Village Office.
The same question in other places
Port McNeill · Port Hardy · Sayward · Tahsis · Gold River · Campbell River
Sources
- Animal Control Bylaw No. 737 (PDF), Village of Alert Bay (read 2026-11-08)
- New Residents Information Package, September 10, 2026 (PDF), Village of Alert Bay (read 2026-11-08)
- Fees and Charges, Village of Alert Bay (read 2026-11-08)
- Contact, Village of Alert Bay (read 2026-11-08)
- https://alertbay.civicweb.net/document/2340/OCP%202014.pdf (read 2026-11-08)
- Bylaws and Regulations — Village of Alert Bay (read 2026-11-08)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 8 of 9 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. How answers are checked.