---
title: How many dogs or cats you can keep in Alert Bay
question: "How many dogs or cats can I keep in Alert Bay?"
place: Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/alert-bay
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: Village of Alert Bay
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/alert-bay/how-many-pets/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/alert-bay/how-many-pets.json"
---

# How many dogs or cats you can keep in Alert Bay

**Question:** How many dogs or cats can I keep in Alert Bay?

**Short answer:** In Alert Bay, the Village's New Residents Package says no more than two dogs per home. Animal Control Bylaw 737 allows approval to keep more, but never more than three without a kennel licence. The Village sets no cat limit that we found.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Alert Bay, https://www.alertbay.ca)  
**Cost:** Not stated. The kennel fee is $100 (New Residents Package).  
**How long:** Not applicable.  
**Where:**
- In person: Village Office, 15 Maple Road, Alert Bay, BC V0N 1A0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- Phone: Village Office, 250-974-5213
- Phone: Animal Control, 250-974-7936 (Phone number on the Village contact page; the Bylaws page lists 250-974-4188.)

## Key facts

- **Dogs allowed:** No more than two dogs per home (Village New Residents Package). Bylaw #737 s. 5.01(b) also has an approval route for keeping dogs, but in no case more than three without a kennel licence. (Sources differ: Bylaw #737 (civicweb copy): pages 1-3, 5, 7 and 8 have no text layer, so only parts of ss. 5 and 6 could be read. The two sources differ on the number (three in the readable bylaw fragment, two in the package), so this is flagged as a conflict. Check the bylaw.)
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 737, s. 5.01(b)(ii)](https://alertbay.civicweb.net/document/3019/Bylaw%20737-Animal%20control%20bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "In no case will more than three (3) dogs be allowed without first obtaining a kennel license as" … "In no case will more than three (3) dogs be allowed without first obtaining a kennel license" … "Approval to harbour any dogls) may be revoked by Council"
  - Source: [New Residents Information Package, September 10, 2026, Animal Control (New Residents Package)](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5436b7bae4b0d50b0eede18b/t/6aa99af593ac2347680f4159/1789500152429/New+Residents+Package+September+10%2C+2026.pdf)
  - Official wording: "no person shall keep, possess or harbour more than two (2) dogs within the Village of Alert Bay"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Cats allowed:** None set. The Village does not state a limit on cats.
- **Other animal limits:** None set. The Village does not state a limit on other pets.
- **Exceptions:** A boarding kennel needs a kennel licence and a business licence; the Village polls abutting residential landowners and zoning applies. Approval to keep more dogs can be revoked by Council.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 737, s. 5.01(c)](https://alertbay.civicweb.net/document/3019/Bylaw%20737-Animal%20control%20bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "In the case of a boarding kennel, the applicant shall apply for a kennel license for a" … "In the case of a boarding kennel, the applicant shall apply for a kennel license for a fee as in the current fees and charges bylaw and, in addition, shall apply for a business license." … "poll abutting residential landowners as to their" … "Approval to harbour any dogls) may be revoked by Council"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** Not confirmed. The Village's website does not state the fine for breaking the limit.
- **Bylaw:** Animal Control Bylaw #737
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 737, title](https://alertbay.civicweb.net/document/3019/Bylaw%20737-Animal%20control%20bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Animal Control Bylaw #737"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The Village's New Residents Package says no more than two dogs per home. The [Animal Control Bylaw 737](https://alertbay.civicweb.net/document/3019/Bylaw%20737-Animal%20control%20bylaw.pdf) has an approval route for keeping dogs, but in no case more than three without a kennel licence. The Village does not state a limit on cats or other pets.

## Good to know

- The two official sources differ on the number (two in the package, three in the readable part of the bylaw). Confirm with the Village Office at 250-974-5213 before getting a third dog.
- A boarding kennel needs a kennel licence and a business licence. The Village polls neighbouring residential landowners, and zoning applies.
- Council can revoke an approval to keep more dogs.
- The fine for breaking the limit is not stated on the Village's website.

## Related questions

- [Alert Bay dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/alert-bay/dog-licence.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog and cat limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/how-many-pets.md)
- [Port Hardy](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-hardy/how-many-pets.md)
- [Sayward](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/how-many-pets.md)
- [Tahsis](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/how-many-pets.md)
- [Gold River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/how-many-pets.md)
- [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/how-many-pets.md)
- [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/how-many-pets.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 737 (PDF), Village of Alert Bay](https://alertbay.civicweb.net/document/3019/Bylaw%20737-Animal%20control%20bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [New Residents Information Package, September 10, 2026 (PDF), Village of Alert Bay](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5436b7bae4b0d50b0eede18b/t/6aa99af593ac2347680f4159/1789500152429/New+Residents+Package+September+10%2C+2026.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact, Village of Alert Bay](https://www.alertbay.ca/contact) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 3 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 2 are recorded as not set; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Alert Bay. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/alert-bay/how-many-pets/_