---
title: How many dogs or cats you can keep in Campbell River
question: "How many dogs or cats can I keep?"
place: Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/campbell-river
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Campbell River
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/how-many-pets/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/how-many-pets.json"
---

# How many dogs or cats you can keep in Campbell River

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

**Short answer:** The City of Campbell River's Animal Control Bylaw and Zoning Bylaw do not set a limit on the number of dogs or cats per home. Hens are limited to six per property with a City licence. Livestock is allowed only in certain zones on lots of 0.4 hectares or more.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Campbell River, https://www.campbellriver.ca)  
**Cost:** Municipal tickets: too many hens $100; prohibited keeping of livestock $100; unlawful keeping of livestock under the Zoning Bylaw $200.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Animal Control, 236-472-1013
- Phone: Development Services (zoning), 250-286-5725

## Key facts

- **Dogs allowed:** None set. Campbell River's Animal Control Bylaw and Zoning Bylaw set no limit on dogs per home.
- **Cats allowed:** None set. Campbell River's Animal Control Bylaw and Zoning Bylaw set no limit on cats per home.
- **Other animal limits:** Hens: no more than 6 per property, with a licence (RU-1, RU-2, RU-3 zones and Quinsam lots of 0.4 ha or more: up to 10 hens per 0.4 ha). Livestock only in RU-1, RU-2, RU-3 zones on lots of at least 0.4 ha: 1 large animal (over 25 kg) per 0.4 ha, and 10 small animals (under 25 kg) per 0.4 ha. No swine or mink.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013 (consolidated), ss. 5.2(c), 5.3(c)](https://www.campbellriver.ca/media/file/3520-animal-control-bylaw-2013-consolidated-3610)
  - Official wording: "keep no more than six (6) Hens on any property;" … "may have up to ten (10) Hens per 0.4"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 3250, 2006, Schedule A text, s. 4.18](https://www.campbellriver.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-3250-2006-schedule-text)
  - Official wording: "Livestock may only be kept on a lot of at least 0.4 hectares." … "Only 1 large animal (over 25kg) may be kept for each 0.4 hectares of land." … "Only 10 small animals (under 25kg) may be kept for each 0.4 hectares of" … "The keeping of swine and mink are not permitted."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Exceptions:** The zoning livestock limits do not apply to household pets or to land in the Agricultural Land Reserve. Hen rules differ in RU zones and the Quinsam Livestock Boundary (see backyard chickens). Commercial kennels are a zoned business use.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 3250, 2006, Schedule A text, s. 4.18(g), (h)](https://www.campbellriver.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-3250-2006-schedule-text)
  - Official wording: "This section does not apply to keeping household pets." … "This section does not apply to properties within the Agricultural Land"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 3250, 2006, Schedule A text, Definitions](https://www.campbellriver.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-3250-2006-schedule-text)
  - Official wording: ""COMMERCIAL KENNEL" means a business establishment in which dogs or domestic"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** Municipal tickets: too many hens $100 (Animal Control s. 5.3(c)); prohibited keeping of livestock $100 (s. 6.2); unlawful keeping of livestock under the Zoning Bylaw $200 (s. 4.18).
  - Source: [Ticketing for Bylaw Offences Bylaw No. 3322, 2007 (consolidated to Bylaw 4003, 2025), Sch. 2](https://www.campbellriver.ca/media/file/3322-ticketing-bylaw-offences-consolidated-bylaw-4003-2025pdf)
  - Official wording: "Too many Hens" … "Prohibited keeping of livestock"
  - Source: [Ticketing for Bylaw Offences Bylaw No. 3322, 2007 (consolidated to Bylaw 4003, 2025), Sch. 31](https://www.campbellriver.ca/media/file/3322-ticketing-bylaw-offences-consolidated-bylaw-4003-2025pdf)
  - Official wording: "Unlawful keeping of livestock"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013 (hens, livestock); Zoning Bylaw No. 3250, 2006 (livestock, s. 4.18)
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013 (consolidated), title](https://www.campbellriver.ca/media/file/3520-animal-control-bylaw-2013-consolidated-3610)
  - Official wording: "This bylaw may be cited for all purposes as Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 3250, 2006, Schedule A text, s. 4.18](https://www.campbellriver.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-3250-2006-schedule-text)
  - Official wording: "Zoning Bylaw 3250, 2006 4.18 KEEPING OF LIVESTOCK (a) Keeping of livestock is permitted only in the RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones,"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Neither the [Animal Control Bylaw](https://www.campbellriver.ca/media/file/3520-animal-control-bylaw-2013-consolidated-3610) nor the [Zoning Bylaw](https://www.campbellriver.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-3250-2006-schedule-text) sets a limit on the number of dogs or cats in a Campbell River home. Every dog over six months old still needs its own licence. Commercial kennels are a zoned business use.

## Good to know

- Hens: no more than 6 per property, with a City licence. In RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones and on Quinsam lots of 0.4 hectares or more, up to 10 hens per 0.4 hectares. See the backyard chickens answer.
- Livestock is allowed only in RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones, on lots of at least 0.4 hectares: 1 large animal (over 25 kg) and 10 small animals (under 25 kg) per 0.4 hectares. Swine and mink are not allowed.
- The zoning livestock limits do not apply to household pets or to land in the Agricultural Land Reserve.
- To check your own situation, call Animal Control at 236-472-1013 or Development Services at 250-286-5725.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Control Bylaw 3520, 2013 (PDF)](https://www.campbellriver.ca/media/file/3520-animal-control-bylaw-2013-consolidated-3610)
- [Zoning Bylaw 3250, 2006, Schedule A text (PDF, section 4.18)](https://www.campbellriver.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-3250-2006-schedule-text)

## Related questions

- [Campbell River dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/dog-licence.md)
- [Campbell River backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/backyard-chickens.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog and cat limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/how-many-pets.md)
- [Courtenay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/how-many-pets.md)
- [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/how-many-pets.md)
- [Comox](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/how-many-pets.md)
- [Powell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/powell-river/how-many-pets.md)
- [Sayward](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/how-many-pets.md)
- [Gold River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/how-many-pets.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013 (consolidated) (PDF)](https://www.campbellriver.ca/media/file/3520-animal-control-bylaw-2013-consolidated-3610) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 3250, 2006, Schedule A text (PDF)](https://www.campbellriver.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-3250-2006-schedule-text) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Ticketing for Bylaw Offences Bylaw No. 3322, 2007 (consolidated to Bylaw 4003, 2025) (PDF)](https://www.campbellriver.ca/media/file/3322-ticketing-bylaw-offences-consolidated-bylaw-4003-2025pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Enforcement, City of Campbell River](https://www.campbellriver.ca/community-safety/bylaw-enforcement) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 2 are recorded as not set. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Campbell River. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/how-many-pets/_