{"title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Colwood","question":"How many dogs or cats can I keep?","slug":"how-many-pets","place":{"path":"ca/bc/colwood","name":"Colwood","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":"City of Colwood","url":"https://www.colwood.ca"},"short_answer":"In Colwood, the Animal Control Bylaw limits dogs and cats to four in total per dwelling unit, but its wording is inconsistent: it bars \"four or more\" dogs or cats and also any combination \"greater than four\". Ask Bylaw Services how it is applied. The fine is $100.","aliases":["pet limit colwood","maximum dogs colwood","how many cats can i have colwood","kennel bylaw colwood"],"cost":"Bylaw notice $100 ($80 within 14 days, $120 after 28 days); municipal ticket $100. Unlawful kennel $500.","how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Services","value":"250-478-5999 local 146"},{"type":"email","label":"Bylaw Services","value":"bylaw@colwood.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1533 (PDF)","url":"https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/86366"},{"title":"Land Use Bylaw No. 151 (PDF)","url":"https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/1999"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Colwood dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"backyard-chickens","title":"Colwood backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/backyard-chickens/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/view-royal","name":"View Royal","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/esquimalt","name":"Esquimalt","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/langford","name":"Langford","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/victoria","name":"Victoria","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/metchosin","name":"Metchosin","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/highlands","name":"Highlands","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/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":"Bylaw s. 6.2 says no one may keep four or more dogs per dwelling unit on any parcel in the City (so three at most). It also bars any dog and cat combination greater than four, while the fine schedule says 'more than 4'. The wording is inconsistent; confirm with Bylaw Services.","short":"Max three dogs per dwelling unit (wording inconsistent)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/86366","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1533, 2014 (consolidated to September 4, 2025) (PDF), City of Colwood","section":"s. 6.2","quotes":["No person may Keep four (4) or more Dogs, four (4) or more Cats or any combination of Dogs","or Cats greater than four (4) per dwelling unit at any one time on any parcel of land in the","Keeping more than 4 Dogs/Cats"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"},"sources_differ":"Bylaw s. 6.2 prohibits 'four (4) or more Dogs' and also 'any combination ... greater than four (4)'; Schedule B and the BNE/MTI schedules say 'more than 4'. A dog or cat is an animal over four months old."},"cat_limit":{"label":"Cats allowed","value":"Same rule as dogs: no one may keep four or more cats per dwelling unit (s. 6.2), though the fine schedule reads 'more than 4 Dogs/Cats'.","short":"Max three cats per dwelling unit (same rule as dogs)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/86366","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1533, 2014 (consolidated to September 4, 2025) (PDF), City of Colwood","section":"s. 6.2","quotes":["No person may Keep four (4) or more Dogs, four (4) or more Cats or any combination of Dogs"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"},"sources_differ":"Cat means a cat over four months old (s. 3.0). See dog_limit note on the inconsistent wording."},"other_limits":{"label":"Other animal limits","value":"Dogs and cats combined: no more than four per dwelling unit (s. 6.2). Pigeons: no more than 25 pairs or 50 in total per parcel (s. 11.1). Chickens: up to four, only on lots of 550 m² to under 4,000 m² with a detached one-family dwelling (Land Use Bylaw 2.1.19). Farm animals only as part of a farm operation allowed by the Land Use Bylaw (s. 12.1).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/86366","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1533, 2014 (consolidated to September 4, 2025) (PDF), City of Colwood","section":"s. 6.2, 11.1, 12.1","quotes":["or Cats greater than four (4) per dwelling unit at any one time","No person shall keep more than 25 pairs of Pigeons, or a total of 50 Pigeons on any parcel of land within the City;","Except if the Keeping of the Farm Animals is part of a Farm Operation"]},{"url":"https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/1999","title":"Land Use Bylaw No. 151, 1989 (consolidated to August 24, 2026) (PDF), City of Colwood","section":"s. 2.1.19(1)(a)","quotes":["is limited to four (4);","but not less than 550 m2 (5,920 ft2) in any residential zone"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"exceptions":{"label":"Exceptions","value":"The limit does not apply to a kennel, dog or cat groomer or dog or cat daycare where the Land Use Bylaw permits it on the parcel. Anyone who already kept four or more dogs or cats when the bylaw was adopted (2014) may keep them for the lives of those animals.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/86366","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1533, 2014 (consolidated to September 4, 2025) (PDF), City of Colwood","section":"s. 6.3, 6.4","quotes":["The limitation in paragraph 6.2 does not apply to a Kennel, dog or cat groomer or dog or cat","may continue to do so for the duration of the lives of those Dogs or Cats."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Keeping more than 4 dogs/cats: bylaw notice $100 ($80 within 14 days, $120 after 28 days); municipal ticket $100. Unlawful kennel: $500.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/187475","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1911, 2021 (consolidated to March 9, 2026) (PDF), City of Colwood","section":"Schedule B, Animal Control Bylaw","quotes":["Keeping more than 4 dogs/cats","Keeping more than 4 dogs/cats 6.2 $100.00 $80.00 $120.00"]},{"url":"https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/1091","title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1314, 2010 (consolidated to April 8, 2022) (PDF), City of Colwood","section":"Schedule 11","quotes":["Keeping more than 4 Dogs/Cats","Keeping more than 4 Dogs/Cats 6.2 $100.00"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1533, 2014 (kennels and zoning: Land Use Bylaw No. 151, 1989)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/86366","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1533, 2014 (consolidated to September 4, 2025) (PDF), City of Colwood","section":"s. 1.0","quotes":["This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as the \"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1533, 2014”."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nColwood's [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1533](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/86366) limits dogs and cats per dwelling unit on a parcel, but the wording in section 6.2 is inconsistent. It bars \"four or more\" dogs per dwelling unit (so three at most), and \"four or more\" cats, and also any dog and cat combination \"greater than four\". The fine schedules say \"more than 4\". Ask Bylaw Services for the limit that applies to you before taking in another animal.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- The limit does not apply to a kennel, dog or cat groomer, or dog or cat daycare, where the [Land Use Bylaw No. 151](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/1999) permits it on the parcel.\n- Anyone who already kept four or more dogs or cats when the bylaw was adopted (2014) may keep them for the lives of those animals.\n- Fine for keeping too many: a bylaw notice is $100 ($80 if paid within 14 days, $120 after 28 days); a municipal ticket is $100. An unlawful kennel is $500.\n- Pigeons: no more than 25 pairs or 50 in total per parcel.\n- Chickens: up to four, only on lots of 550 m² to under 4,000 m² with a detached one-family dwelling. See the backyard chickens answer.\n- Farm animals are allowed only as part of a farm operation permitted by the Land Use Bylaw.\n- Every dog still needs a licence; see the dog licence answer.","sources":[{"url":"https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/86366","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1533, 2014 (consolidated to September 4, 2025) (PDF), City of Colwood","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/1999","title":"Land Use Bylaw No. 151, 1989 (consolidated to August 24, 2026) (PDF), City of Colwood","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/1091","title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1314, 2010 (consolidated to April 8, 2022) (PDF), City of Colwood","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/187475","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1911, 2021 (consolidated to March 9, 2026) (PDF), City of Colwood","accessed":"2026-11-05"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-05","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/how-many-pets/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/how-many-pets.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/how-many-pets.json"}}