--- title: How many dogs or cats you can keep in Dawson Creek question: "How many dogs or cats can I keep?" place: Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/dawson-creek category: Pets, animals and wildlife owner: municipal owner_body: City of Dawson Creek sources_read: 2026-11-05 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/how-many-pets/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/how-many-pets.json" --- # How many dogs or cats you can keep in Dawson Creek **Question:** How many dogs or cats can I keep? **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. **Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Dawson Creek, https://www.dawsoncreek.ca) **Cost:** Keeping more animals than a restriction allows: bylaw notice $175 ($150 if paid within 14 days); municipal ticket $500. **Where:** - Phone: Animal Services, 250-782-0370 - Phone: Bylaw Enforcement, 250-784-3657 - Email: Bylaw Enforcement, bylaw@dawsoncreek.ca ## Key facts - **Dogs allowed:** 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. - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 4420, 2019, s. 4.13, 4.14](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112100) - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Cats allowed:** Same as dogs: no general limit; the two-animal combined limit (dogs and cats together) applies only under an animal number restriction. - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 4420, 2019, s. 4.13, 4.14](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112100) - Official wording: "must not keep a combination of dogs and cats that number more than two (2) at that person's residence" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Other animal limits:** 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. - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 4420, 2019, s. 16.1.b, 18.1.f, 10.1, 3.1](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112100) - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Exceptions:** 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. - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 4420, 2019, s. 4.14, 13.1, 3.1](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112100) - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Fine:** Keeping more animals than a restriction allows: bylaw notice $175 ($150 if paid within 14 days; $200 if paid late); municipal ticket $500. - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 4277, Schedule B, Schedule B, s. 4.14](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112178) - Official wording: "4420 4.14 Too many animals 175 150 200 Yes" - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw No. 4278, Schedule B, s. 4.14](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112527) - Official wording: "4420 4.14 Too many animals 500" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Bylaw:** Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 4420, 2019 - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 4420, 2019, s. 1.1](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112100) - Official wording: "ANIMAL RESPONSIBILITY BYLAW NO. 4420, 2019" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 ## How it works [Animal Responsibility Bylaw 4420]() 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. ## Good to know - Running a kennel needs a kennel licence plus a City business licence. - Hens: no more than 6 per parcel. Bees: no more than 4 colonies per parcel. See backyard-chickens. - 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. - 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. - The City has announced changes to animal services and licensing from December 2026; check with the City. ## Official forms and pages - [Animal Responsibility Bylaw 4420 (PDF)](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112100) ## Related questions - [Dawson Creek dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/dog-licence.md) - [Dawson Creek backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/backyard-chickens.md) ## The same question elsewhere - [Dog and cat limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/how-many-pets.md) - [Pouce Coupe](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pouce-coupe/how-many-pets.md) - [Fort St. John](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/how-many-pets.md) - [Chetwynd](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chetwynd/how-many-pets.md) - [Tumbler Ridge](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/how-many-pets.md) - [Mackenzie](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mackenzie/how-many-pets.md) - [Prince George](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-george/how-many-pets.md) ## Sources - [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 4420, 2019 (PDF)](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112100) (read 2026-11-05) - [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 4277, Schedule B (PDF)](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112178) (read 2026-11-05) - [Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw No. 4278 (PDF)](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112527) (read 2026-11-05) _Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. 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