How many dogs or cats you can keep in Burnaby
How many dogs or cats can I keep?
Short answer
In Burnaby, a dwelling unit (including its lot) may have no more than 3 dogs and no more than 4 cats over four months old, under the City of Burnaby's Animal Control Bylaw. Three or more dogs can also count as a kennel under a separate bylaw, so confirm with Licensing.
Key facts
| Dogs allowed | No more than 3 dogs over four months old per dwelling unit (the dwelling unit includes its lot).Burnaby Animal Control Bylaw 1991 (No. 9609), consolidated, s. 6(2)(a); s. 2(1); Dog Licences, Dog Licences page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingmore than three dogs over the age of four months, or “dwelling unit” has the meaning assigned to it in Burnaby Zoning Bylaw and Burnaby has a limit of 3 dogs per household. |
|---|---|
| Cats allowed | No more than 4 cats over four months old per dwelling unit.Burnaby Animal Control Bylaw 1991 (No. 9609), consolidated, s. 6(2)(b) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingmore than four cats over the age of four months. |
| Other animal limits | No more than 2 snakes per dwelling unit; if snakes are fed live rodents, no more than 4 rodents at a time. Poisonous or venomous animals are banned. Animals on Schedule D (for example non-human primates, wild cats, bears, bats, most rabbits other than the domestic rabbit) may not be sold, harboured or kept.Burnaby Animal Control Bylaw 1991 (No. 9609), consolidated, s. 6(3), 6(4), 6B, Schedule D · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingmore than two snakes and, if the snakes are No person shall harbour or keep a poisonous or venomous animal. No person shall sell, harbour or keep any of the animals listed in Schedule “D”. |
| Exceptions | A dog or cat kennel is a different case: the Kennel Regulation Bylaw defines a dog kennel as three or more dogs kept for any purpose, allows kennels only in areas designated in the zoning bylaw, and caps a kennel at 30 dogs or cats. Animals are 'harboured' when fed or sheltered for 72 hours or more. Guide dogs, certified assistance dogs and police dogs are outside the Animal Control Bylaw.Burnaby Kennel Regulation Bylaw 1960 (No. 4174), consolidated, ss. 2, 9, 13; Burnaby Animal Control Bylaw 1991 (No. 9609), consolidated, s. 6(1); s. 2(2) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingmeans any building, structure, compound, group of pens or cages or property in which or where three No person shall have, keep or board more than thirty dogs or cats in any dog kennel or cat kennel. an animal that is fed or sheltered for 72 This Bylaw does not apply to |
| Fine | Bylaw notice: keeping more than 3 dogs $100 ($80 if paid within 15 days); more than 4 cats $100 ($80); more than 2 snakes $100 ($80); more than 4 food rodents $100 ($80); venomous animal $100 ($80).Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 12657, Schedule A, Schedule A, Animal Control Bylaw s. 6 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wording6(2)(a) Keeping more than 3 dogs 100 80 YES 6(2)(b) Keeping more than 4 cats 100 80 YES 6(4) Keeping more than 2 snakes 100 80 YES |
| Bylaw | Burnaby Animal Control Bylaw 1991 (Bylaw No. 9609), s. 6.Burnaby Animal Control Bylaw 1991 (No. 9609), consolidated, title · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingBURNABY ANIMAL CONTROL BYLAW 1991 |
How it works
The Animal Control Bylaw says no more than 3 dogs and no more than 4 cats, each over four months old, may be kept per dwelling unit in Burnaby. The dwelling unit includes its lot. An animal is "harboured" when it is fed or sheltered for 72 hours or more.
Other limits
- Snakes: no more than 2 per dwelling unit. If they are fed live rodents, no more than 4 rodents at a time.
- Poisonous or venomous animals are banned.
- Animals on the bylaw's Schedule D (for example non-human primates, wild cats, bears, bats and most rabbits other than the domestic rabbit) may not be sold, harboured or kept.
Good to know
- Kennels are different. The Kennel Regulation Bylaw defines a dog kennel as three or more dogs kept for any purpose, allows kennels only in areas designated in the zoning bylaw, and caps a kennel at 30 dogs or cats. The text is old, so confirm with Licensing (604-294-7320) before relying on it for a home with several dogs.
- Guide dogs, certified assistance dogs and police dogs are outside the Animal Control Bylaw.
- Bylaw notices, each $100 ($80 if paid within 15 days): more than 3 dogs, more than 4 cats, more than 2 snakes, more than 4 food rodents, or a venomous animal.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
New Westminster · Richmond · Port Moody · Belcarra · Coquitlam · Port Coquitlam
Sources
- Burnaby Animal Control Bylaw 1991 (No. 9609), consolidated (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Dog Licences, City of Burnaby (read 2026-11-05)
- Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 12657, Schedule A (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Burnaby Kennel Regulation Bylaw 1960 (No. 4174), consolidated (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.