{"title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Dawson Creek","question":"How many dogs or cats can I keep?","slug":"how-many-pets","place":{"path":"ca/bc/dawson-creek","name":"Dawson Creek","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 Dawson Creek","url":"https://www.dawsoncreek.ca"},"short_answer":"Dawson Creek's Animal Responsibility Bylaw 4420 sets no general limit on dogs or cats per home. A limit of two dogs and cats combined applies only to someone given an \"animal number restriction\": a person with more than two dogs and cats who commits three bylaw contraventions within 12 months.","aliases":["pet limit dawson creek","how many dogs can i have","kennel licence dawson creek"],"cost":"Keeping more animals than a restriction allows: bylaw notice $175 ($150 if paid within 14 days); municipal ticket $500.","how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Animal Services","value":"250-782-0370"},{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Enforcement","value":"250-784-3657"},{"type":"email","label":"Bylaw Enforcement","value":"bylaw@dawsoncreek.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw 4420 (PDF)","url":"https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112100"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Dawson Creek dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"backyard-chickens","title":"Dawson Creek backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/backyard-chickens/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/pouce-coupe","name":"Pouce Coupe","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pouce-coupe/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/fort-st-john","name":"Fort St. John","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/chetwynd","name":"Chetwynd","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chetwynd/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/tumbler-ridge","name":"Tumbler Ridge","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/mackenzie","name":"Mackenzie","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mackenzie/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/prince-george","name":"Prince George","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-george/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":"The bylaw sets no general limit on dogs per home. A limit of two dogs and cats combined applies only to someone given an 'animal number restriction': a person with more than two dogs and cats at home who commits three bylaw contraventions within 12 months.","short":"No general limit","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112100","title":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 4420, 2019 (PDF)","section":"s. 4.13, 4.14","quotes":["owns or keeps any combination of dogs and cats that number greater than two (2) at that person's residence; and","commits three (3) contraventions of this Bylaw within a twelve (12) month period;","must not keep a combination of dogs and cats that number more than two (2) at that person's residence"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"cat_limit":{"label":"Cats allowed","value":"Same as dogs: no general limit; the two-animal combined limit (dogs and cats together) applies only under an animal number restriction.","short":"No general limit","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112100","title":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 4420, 2019 (PDF)","section":"s. 4.13, 4.14","quotes":["must not keep a combination of dogs and cats that number more than two (2) at that person's residence"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"other_limits":{"label":"Other animal limits","value":"Hens: no more than 6 per parcel. Bees: no more than 4 colonies per parcel (typically 2 colonies and 2 nucleus colonies). Livestock (horses, goats, sheep, pigs and similar) may not be kept in the City except on farm, ALR or agriculturally zoned land.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112100","title":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 4420, 2019 (PDF)","section":"s. 16.1.b, 18.1.f, 10.1, 3.1","quotes":["keep no more than six (6) hens per parcel of land;","keep a maximum of four (4) colonies per parcel","This is typically two (2) colonies and two (2) nucleus colonies;","no person shall keep any livestock within the boundaries of the City.","Zoned to allow agricultural, intensive agricultural, paddock, or stable uses."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"exceptions":{"label":"Exceptions","value":"The two-animal limit does not apply to a licensed kennel or veterinary clinic. Operating a kennel needs a kennel licence plus a City business licence. Livestock is allowed only on ALR land, property classed as a farm, or land zoned agricultural, intensive agricultural, paddock or stable.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112100","title":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 4420, 2019 (PDF)","section":"s. 4.14, 13.1, 3.1","quotes":["except as part of a licenced kennel or veterinary clinic.","No person will operate a kennel in the City unless that person holds a kennel licence issued under this Bylaw.","Classified as a farm under the Assessment Act; or"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Keeping more animals than a restriction allows: bylaw notice $175 ($150 if paid within 14 days; $200 if paid late); municipal ticket $500.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112178","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 4277, Schedule B (PDF)","section":"Schedule B, s. 4.14","quotes":["4420 4.14 Too many animals 175 150 200 Yes"]},{"url":"https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112527","title":"Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw No. 4278 (PDF)","section":"Schedule B, s. 4.14","quotes":["4420 4.14 Too many animals 500"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 4420, 2019","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112100","title":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 4420, 2019 (PDF)","section":"s. 1.1","quotes":["ANIMAL RESPONSIBILITY BYLAW NO. 4420, 2019"]}],"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\n[Animal Responsibility Bylaw 4420](<https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112100>) sets no general limit on dogs or cats in a Dawson Creek home. The two-animal combined limit applies only under an animal number restriction. That is given to a person with more than two dogs and cats at home who commits three bylaw contraventions within 12 months. The limit does not apply to a licensed kennel or veterinary clinic.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Running a kennel needs a kennel licence plus a City business licence.\n- Hens: no more than 6 per parcel. Bees: no more than 4 colonies per parcel. See backyard-chickens.\n- Livestock such as horses, goats, sheep and pigs may not be kept in the City except on ALR (Agricultural Land Reserve) land, property classed as a farm, or land zoned agricultural, intensive agricultural, paddock or stable.\n- Keeping more animals than a restriction allows is a bylaw notice of $175 ($150 within 14 days; $200 late) or a municipal ticket of $500.\n- The City has announced changes to animal services and licensing from December 2026; check with the City.","sources":[{"url":"https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112100","title":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 4420, 2019 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112178","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 4277, Schedule B (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112527","title":"Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw No. 4278 (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 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/how-many-pets/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/how-many-pets.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/how-many-pets.json"}}