{"title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Clearwater","question":"How many dogs or cats can I keep?","slug":"how-many-pets","place":{"path":"ca/bc/clearwater","name":"Clearwater","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"pets-and-wildlife","name":"Pets, animals and wildlife"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"District of Clearwater","url":"https://www.districtofclearwater.com"},"short_answer":"Clearwater's Animal Control Bylaw sets no limit on the number of dogs or cats. It does limit poultry and rabbits combined, from 4 head on a lot under 1,012 m² to 50 head on a lot over 2 ha, and requires a lot of at least 4,000 m² for horses and farm animals.","aliases":["how many dogs clearwater","pet limit clearwater","how many cats clearwater","animal limits clearwater"],"cost":"No fee. Ticket for too many poultry or rabbits: $100 ($75 if paid within 30 days).","how_long":"Not applicable.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"District of Clearwater","value":"250-674-2257"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 148, 2016 (PDF), District of Clearwater","url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28337/"},{"title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 221, 2019 (PDF), District of Clearwater","url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28332/"}],"related":[{"slug":"backyard-chickens","title":"Clearwater backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/backyard-chickens/"},{"slug":"dog-leash-rules","title":"Clearwater dog leash rules and off-leash areas","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/dog-leash-rules/"},{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Clearwater bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/bylaw-fines/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/barriere","name":"Barriere","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/sun-peaks","name":"Sun Peaks","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sun-peaks/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/chase","name":"Chase","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chase/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/100-mile-house","name":"100 Mile House","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/100-mile-house/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/kamloops","name":"Kamloops","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kamloops/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/sicamous","name":"Sicamous","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sicamous/how-many-pets/"}],"topic":{"title":"Dog and cat limits in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/how-many-pets/"},"facts":{"dog_limit":{"label":"Dogs allowed","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Clearwater's Animal Control Bylaw sets no limit on the number of dogs.","sources":[]},"cat_limit":{"label":"Cats allowed","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Clearwater's Animal Control Bylaw sets no limit on the number of cats.","sources":[]},"other_limits":{"label":"Other animal limits","value":"Poultry and rabbits combined, only where animals are explicitly permitted as accessory to residential use: under 1,012 m² 4 head; 1,012 m² to 4,047 m² 10 head; 4,047 m² to 2 ha 20 head; over 2 ha 50 head. Horses and farm animals need a lot of at least 4,000 m².","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28337/","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 148, 2016 (PDF), District of Clearwater","section":"s. 7.1 and s. 8.1","quotes":["maximum number of poultry or rabbits, or combination thereof, that may be kept on a lot","Less than 1,012 m2 (1/4 acre)","4 head","unless said lot is","at least 4000 m2 (1 acre) in area"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"exceptions":{"label":"Exceptions","value":"The limits do not apply to normal farm practices in the Agricultural Land Reserve or agriculture use permitted as a principal use under the Zoning Bylaw.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28337/","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 148, 2016 (PDF), District of Clearwater","section":"s. 3.3","quotes":["The limits imposed in this Bylaw do not apply to normal farm practices as permitted activities"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Municipal ticket: poultry or rabbits over the maximum number $100 ($75 if paid within 30 days).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28332/","title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 221, 2019 (PDF), District of Clearwater","section":"Schedule 7","quotes":["Poultry or rabbits – exceeding maximum number"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"District of Clearwater Animal Control Bylaw No. 148, 2016","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28337/","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 148, 2016 (PDF), District of Clearwater","section":"s. 1","quotes":["This bylaw may be cited for all purposes as the “District of Clearwater Animal Control Bylaw No. 148, 2016”."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":4,"matched":4,"none":2,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe District's [Animal Control Bylaw No. 148](<https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28337/>) sets no limit on how many dogs you may keep and does not mention cats. The [Zoning Bylaw No. 133](<https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/105297/>) refers only to \"a limited number of animals as set out in the Animal Control Bylaw\".\n\n## Other animals\n\nPoultry and rabbits combined, where animals are explicitly permitted as an accessory use to a home:\n\n- Lot under 1,012 m² (1/4 acre): 4 head\n- 1,012 m² to 4,047 m²: 10 head\n- 4,047 m² to 2 ha: 20 head\n- Over 2 ha: 50 head\n\nHorses and farm animals need a lot of at least 4,000 m² (1 acre).\n\n## Good to know\n\n- The limits do not apply to normal farm practices in the Agricultural Land Reserve, or to agriculture permitted as a principal use under the Zoning Bylaw.\n- A municipal ticket for too many poultry or rabbits is $100 ($75 if paid within 30 days).\n- See the chickens answer for coops and other livestock rules.","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28337/","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 148, 2016 (PDF), District of Clearwater","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28332/","title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 221, 2019 (PDF), District of Clearwater","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/105297/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 (PDF), District of Clearwater","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"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."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/how-many-pets/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/how-many-pets.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/how-many-pets.json"}}