---
title: How many dogs or cats you can keep in Elkford
question: "How many dogs or cats can I keep in Elkford?"
place: Elkford, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/elkford
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of Elkford
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/elkford/how-many-pets/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/elkford/how-many-pets.json"
---

# How many dogs or cats you can keep in Elkford

**Question:** How many dogs or cats can I keep in Elkford?

**Short answer:** In Elkford you may keep no more than three dogs on a parcel unless you hold a kennel licence. The bylaw sets no cat limit of its own. In most residential zones, no more than five animals of any one species (dogs excluded).

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Elkford, https://www.elkford.ca)  
**Cost:** Kennel licence $100 a year (fees exclude applicable taxes).  
**How long:** The limits apply at all times.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Enforcement Officer, 250-865-4024
- Email: Bylaw Enforcement Officer, bylaw@elkford.ca
- In person: Municipal Hall, 744 Fording Drive, Elkford, BC V0B 1H0

## Key facts

- **Dogs allowed:** No more than three dogs on a parcel unless a kennel licence has been issued.
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 848, 2021 (consolidated, PDF), s. 3.4](https://elkford.civicweb.net/document/89745/)
  - Official wording: "No person shall use any Parcel for the keeping or harbouring of more than three Dogs, unless a kennel licence has been issued"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Cats allowed:** The bylaw sets no cat limit of its own. In the R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-MH and R-MP zones, no more than five animals of any one species (excluding dogs) on a parcel.
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 848, 2021 (consolidated, PDF), s. 3.3](https://elkford.civicweb.net/document/89745/)
  - Official wording: "No person shall use any Parcel in the R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-MH and R-MP zones in the Zoning Bylaw for the keeping or harbouring of more than five Animals of any one species, excluding Dogs."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Other animal limits:** Residential zones R-1 to R-5, R-MH and R-MP: no more than five animals of any one species (dogs excluded). Wild or exotic animals (Schedule A) are not allowed anywhere in the District. Hens: five, in listed zones only. Bees: four hives, in listed zones only.
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 848, 2021 (consolidated, PDF), s. 3.3, 3.11](https://elkford.civicweb.net/document/89745/)
  - Official wording: "more than five Animals of any one species, excluding Dogs" … "No Person shall keep a Wild or Exotic Animal within the Municipality."
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 848, 2021 (consolidated, PDF), s. 9.4(a), 9.5(b)](https://elkford.civicweb.net/document/89745/)
  - Official wording: "the number of Hens on any individual Parcel is limited to five (5)" … "the number of beehives shall be limited to four (4)"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Exceptions:** Kennel licence (Class 1 Kennel on residential premises: more than three and up to five dogs; Class 2 Kennel on non-residential premises). Agricultural animals are not restricted on parcels zoned A-1.
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 848, 2021 (consolidated, PDF), s. 3.2, 8.1, 2 (Kennel, Class 1)](https://elkford.civicweb.net/document/89745/)
  - Official wording: "Nothing in this bylaw shall restrict the keeping of Agricultural Animals on any Parcel zoned A-1" … "KENNEL, CLASS 1 means a facility on residential premises within which more than three, to a maximum of five"
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 848, 2021 (consolidated, PDF), s. 8.2(a)](https://elkford.civicweb.net/document/89745/)
  - Official wording: "have or keep more than five Dogs in a Class 1 Kennel"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** Not confirmed. The ticket schedule is a scanned document that could not be read.
- **Bylaw:** Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 848, 2021 (consolidation including Amendment Bylaws No. 896, 2024 and No. 947, 2026).
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 848, 2021 (consolidated, PDF), s. 1](https://elkford.civicweb.net/document/89745/)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as the “District of Elkford Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 848, 2021”."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 848, 2021](<https://elkford.civicweb.net/document/89745/>) allows no more than three dogs on a parcel unless a kennel licence has been issued. A dog is an animal of the canine species that is weaned or over three months old, so very young puppies are not counted as dogs.

In the R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-MH and R-MP zones, no more than five animals of any one species (dogs excluded) may be kept on a parcel. The bylaw does not name cats in that rule, so we read it as covering cats; ask the District to confirm. Wild or exotic animals listed in Schedule A are not allowed anywhere in the District.

## Steps

1. Count the dogs on your parcel. Three is the limit without a kennel licence.
2. For more, apply for a kennel licence ($100). A Class 1 Kennel on residential premises covers more than three and up to five dogs.
3. A kennel licence also needs proof that you comply with the Zoning Bylaw and the Business Licence Bylaw.

## Good to know

- Agricultural animals are not restricted on parcels zoned A-1.
- Hens and bees have their own rules; see the related answer.
- The bylaw sets a municipal ticket fine of $100 to $1,000. The ticket schedule is a scanned document we could not read.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 848, 2021 (consolidated, PDF)](https://elkford.civicweb.net/document/89745/)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 838, 2021, Schedule I (PDF)](https://elkford.civicweb.net/document/87372/)

## Related questions

- [Elkford dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/elkford/dog-licence.md)
- [Elkford dog leash rules and off-leash areas](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/elkford/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Elkford backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/elkford/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Elkford rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/elkford/dangerous-dogs.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog and cat limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/how-many-pets.md)
- [Sparwood](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sparwood/how-many-pets.md)
- [Canal Flats](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/canal-flats/how-many-pets.md)
- [Fernie](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fernie/how-many-pets.md)
- [Cranbrook](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cranbrook/how-many-pets.md)
- [Kimberley](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/how-many-pets.md)
- [Invermere](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/invermere/how-many-pets.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 848, 2021 (consolidated, PDF)](https://elkford.civicweb.net/document/89745/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 838, 2021, Schedule I (PDF)](https://elkford.civicweb.net/document/87372/) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Elkford. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/elkford/how-many-pets/_