{"title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Courtenay","question":"How many dogs or cats can I keep?","slug":"how-many-pets","place":{"path":"ca/bc/courtenay","name":"Courtenay","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 Courtenay","url":"https://www.courtenay.ca"},"short_answer":"In the City of Courtenay, no more than three dogs over six months old may be kept on any parcel of land at one time. The Animal Control Bylaw sets no limit on cats. Livestock, horses and poultry are allowed only on agriculturally zoned property, and wild or exotic animals are banned.","aliases":["dog limit courtenay","cat limit courtenay","how many dogs can i have courtenay","exotic pets courtenay"],"cost":null,"how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Enforcement","value":"250-334-4441 ext. 5","note":"Seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 5:45 p.m."},{"type":"email","label":"Bylaw Enforcement","value":"bylaw@courtenay.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal control, City of Courtenay","url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/animal-control"},{"title":"Animal Control Bylaw 1897 (consolidated PDF)","url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Courtenay dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"backyard-chickens","title":"Courtenay backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/backyard-chickens/"},{"slug":"dangerous-dogs","title":"Courtenay rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/dangerous-dogs/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/comox","name":"Comox","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/cumberland","name":"Cumberland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/powell-river","name":"Powell River","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/powell-river/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/campbell-river","name":"Campbell River","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/port-alberni","name":"Port Alberni","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/qualicum-beach","name":"Qualicum Beach","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/qualicum-beach/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":"No more than three dogs over six months old on any parcel of land at one time.","short":"Max three dogs","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021) (PDF)","section":"s. 14","quotes":["No more than three dogs over the age of six months shall be kept on any parcel of land in the City at one time."]},{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/city-hall/permits-and-licensing/dog-licensing","title":"Dog licensing, City of Courtenay","section":"Dog licensing page","quotes":["Each household may have up to three dogs."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"cat_limit":{"label":"Cats allowed","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Courtenay's Animal Control Bylaw sets no limit on cats.","sources":[]},"other_limits":{"label":"Other animal limits","value":"Outdoors, only dogs, cats, honeybees and hens may be kept unless the property is zoned agricultural. No livestock, horse, donkey or poultry except on agriculturally zoned property. Wild or exotic animals are banned.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021) (PDF)","section":"s. 11, s. 12, s. 13","quotes":["No person shall keep any animal except a dog or cat or honeybees or hens outdoors on any property within the City","No person shall keep any livestock, horse, donkey or poultry on any property within the City, other than on property zoned for agricultural use","No person shall sell, display, house or keep any wild or exotic animal"]},{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/animal-control","title":"Animal control, City of Courtenay","section":"What you need to know","quotes":["Livestock is only permitted on agriculturally zoned properties."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"exceptions":{"label":"Exceptions","value":"The three-dog limit counts only dogs over six months old, so younger puppies are not counted. Livestock, horses, donkeys and poultry are allowed on agriculturally zoned property.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021) (PDF)","section":"s. 14, s. 12","quotes":["No more than three dogs over the age of six months shall be kept on any parcel of land in the City at one time.","No person shall keep any livestock, horse, donkey or poultry on any property within the City"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Bylaw notice: keeping more than three dogs $100 ($75 if paid within 14 days; $125 if paid late). Unlawful keeping of an animal $200 ($150 early; $250 late).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/3185-municipal-enforcement-bylaw-no-3185pdf","title":"Municipal Enforcement Bylaw No. 3185 (PDF)","section":"Appendix A, Animal Control Bylaw","quotes":["Keeping more than three dogs IV.14 $100.00 $75.00 $125.00 Yes","Unlawful keeping of animal IV.12 $200.00 $150.00 $250.00 Yes"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897, 1996","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021) (PDF)","section":"s. 44","quotes":["Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897, 1996"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":1,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nSection 14 of Courtenay's [Animal Control Bylaw](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021) says no more than three dogs over six months old may be kept on any parcel of land at one time. Younger puppies do not count toward the limit. The bylaw sets no limit on cats.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Outdoors, only dogs, cats, honeybees and hens may be kept unless the property is zoned agricultural. Hens are limited to six per lot and honeybees to two hives under the Zoning Bylaw. See the backyard chickens answer.\n- Livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, swine), horses, donkeys and poultry are allowed only on agriculturally zoned property.\n- Wild or exotic animals are banned; the bylaw lists them in Schedule B.\n- A bylaw notice for keeping more than three dogs is $100 ($75 if paid within 14 days; $125 if paid late). Unlawful keeping of an animal is $200 ($150 early; $250 late).","sources":[{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/animal-control","title":"Animal control, City of Courtenay","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/city-hall/permits-and-licensing/dog-licensing","title":"Dog licensing, City of Courtenay","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/3185-municipal-enforcement-bylaw-no-3185pdf","title":"Municipal Enforcement Bylaw No. 3185 (PDF)","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 5 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/how-many-pets/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/how-many-pets.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/how-many-pets.json"}}