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

# How many dogs or cats you can keep in Canal Flats

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

**Short answer:** In Canal Flats, you may keep up to 3 dogs over four months old on a parcel. Four or more needs a kennel licence. The bylaws we read set no limit on cats.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Canal Flats, https://www.canalflats.ca)  
**Cost:** Kennel licence $500 a year.  
**Where:**
- In person: Village Office (Columbia Discovery Centre), 8866 Grainger Road, Canal Flats, BC V0B 1B0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed 12:00 to 1:00))
- Phone: Village Office, 250-349-5462

## Key facts

- **Dogs allowed:** Keeping 4 or more dogs over four months old on a parcel needs a kennel licence. Without one, a parcel may have up to 3 dogs over four months old.
  - Source: [Dog Control Bylaw No. 225, 2019, s. 5(a)](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/12029/)
  - Official wording: "No person may keep 4 or more dogs over the age of four (4) months on any parcel of land in the Village, unless that person has first obtained a kennel license"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Cats allowed:** None set. The Canal Flats bylaws that were read set no limit on cats.
- **Other animal limits:** None set. The Canal Flats bylaws that were read set no limit on other pets.
- **Exceptions:** A kennel licence ($500 per year) allows 4 or more dogs, subject to the Zoning Bylaw: a kennel is a conditional use in the A-1 zone (minimum parcel 2 ha) and the SH zone (maximum 12 animals, minimum parcel 2.0 ha). Kennel licence holders must meet the bylaw's Schedule A standards.
  - Source: [Dog Control Bylaw No. 225, 2019, s. 5(b), 5(c)](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/12029/)
  - Official wording: "The issuance of a kennel license shall be subject to the restrictions of all other relevant bylaws" … "Every person issued a kennel license shall conform with the requirements for kennels as set out"
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 300, 2026, Schedule K, s. 5](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/50057/)
  - Official wording: "KENNEL LICENSE FEE $ 500.00 per year"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 215, 2019, s. 5.2, 5.3 Conditional uses](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/50072/)
  - Official wording: "Minimum parcel size of 2 ha (5 acres)" … "Max of 12 animals"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** Bylaw notice: $50 ($25 if paid within 14 days; $75 after 28 days). Municipal ticket: $50. (Offence: keeping 4 or more dogs over four months old without a kennel licence.)
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement and Dispute Adjudication System Bylaw No. 242, 2021, Bylaw 242, Schedule A](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/20426/)
  - Official wording: "Keep 4 (four) or more dogs" … "$50 $25 $75 Yes"
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 231, 2020, Bylaw 231, Schedule D](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/47771/)
  - Official wording: "Keep 4 or more dogs over four months old 5(a) $50.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Village of Canal Flats Dog Control Bylaw No. 225, 2019
  - Source: [Dog Control Bylaw No. 225, 2019, Citation](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/12029/)
  - Official wording: "Village of Canal Flats Dog Control Bylaw No. 225, 2019"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Under the [Dog Control Bylaw No. 225, 2019](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/12029/), no one may keep 4 or more dogs over four months old on any parcel in the Village without first getting a kennel licence. So without one, the limit is 3 dogs over four months old. Puppies under four months are not counted.

## Steps

1. For 3 dogs or fewer, buy an ordinary licence for each dog. See the dog licence answer.
2. For 4 or more dogs, ask the Village office (250-349-5462) before you get the extra dog, because a kennel licence also depends on zoning.
3. If you are issued a kennel licence, meet the kennel standards in Schedule A of the bylaw.

## Good to know

- A kennel licence costs $500 a year.
- A kennel is a conditional use in the A-1 zone (minimum parcel 2 ha) and the SH zone (maximum 12 animals, minimum parcel 2.0 ha) in the [Zoning Bylaw No. 215, 2019](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/50072/). Kennels are not listed as a use in the R-1 zone.
- The bylaws we read set no limit on cats or on other pets.
- Keeping 4 or more dogs without a kennel licence can bring a bylaw notice of $50 ($25 if paid within 14 days, $75 after 28 days) or a municipal ticket of $50.

## Official forms and pages

- [Dog Control Bylaw No. 225, 2019 (PDF)](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/12029/)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 300, 2026 (PDF)](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/50057/)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 215, 2019 (PDF)](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/50072/)

## Related questions

- [Canal Flats dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/canal-flats/dog-licence.md)
- [Canal Flats backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/canal-flats/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Canal Flats dog leash rules and off-leash areas](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/canal-flats/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Canal Flats bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/canal-flats/bylaw-fines.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog and cat limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/how-many-pets.md)
- [Invermere](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/invermere/how-many-pets.md)
- [Radium Hot Springs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/radium-hot-springs/how-many-pets.md)
- [Kimberley](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/how-many-pets.md)
- [Elkford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/elkford/how-many-pets.md)
- [Cranbrook](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cranbrook/how-many-pets.md)
- [Sparwood](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sparwood/how-many-pets.md)

## Sources

- [Dog Control Bylaw No. 225, 2019 (PDF), Village of Canal Flats](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/12029/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 300, 2026 (PDF), Village of Canal Flats](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/50057/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 215, 2019 (PDF), Village of Canal Flats](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/50072/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement and Dispute Adjudication System Bylaw No. 242, 2021 (PDF), Village of Canal Flats](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/20426/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 231, 2020 (PDF), Village of Canal Flats](https://canalflats.civicweb.net/document/47771/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact Us, Village of Canal Flats](https://www.canalflats.ca/contact-us/) (read 2026-11-08)

_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 Village of Canal Flats. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/canal-flats/how-many-pets/_