{"title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Fort St James","question":"How many dogs or cats can I keep in Fort St James?","slug":"how-many-pets","place":{"path":"ca/bc/fort-st-james","name":"Fort St James","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":"District of Fort St James","url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca"},"short_answer":"In Fort St James, a house or duplex may keep up to three dogs without a kennel licence, and an apartment up to two. There is no separate cat limit: cats count toward five household pets in a house or duplex, or three in an apartment.","aliases":["pet limit fort st james","how many dogs fort st james","how many cats fort st james","kennel licence fort st james"],"cost":"$25 fine for going over the limit. A kennel licence is $50.","how_long":"Not applicable.","where":[{"type":"in_person","label":"Municipal Hall","value":"477 Stuart Drive West, Fort St. James, BC V0J 1P0","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."},{"type":"phone","label":"District Office","value":"250-996-8233"},{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Enforcement Officer","value":"250-996-8670 ext. 3"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James","url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Fort St James dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"backyard-chickens","title":"Fort St James backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/backyard-chickens/"},{"slug":"dog-leash-rules","title":"Fort St James dog leash rules and off-leash areas","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/dog-leash-rules/"},{"slug":"dangerous-dogs","title":"Fort St James rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/dangerous-dogs/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/vanderhoof","name":"Vanderhoof","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/prince-george","name":"Prince George","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-george/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/mackenzie","name":"Mackenzie","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mackenzie/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/granisle","name":"Granisle","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/houston","name":"Houston","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/telkwa","name":"Telkwa","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/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":"Single-family dwelling or duplex: no more than three dogs on a parcel without a valid kennel licence. Apartment unit: no more than two dogs.","short":"Max three dogs (two in an apartment)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf","title":"Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James","section":"s. 4.2.1","quotes":["A person in a unit of an apartment building must not permit more than","may not permit more than","three dogs to be kept or harboured on a parcel without having procured"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"cat_limit":{"label":"Cats allowed","value":"No separate limit for cats. Cats count toward the household-pet total: no more than five in a single-family dwelling or duplex, or three in an apartment unit (litters of kittens not counted).","short":"No separate limit; five pets total (three in apartment)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf","title":"Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James","section":"s. 4.1","quotes":["a maximum of five (5) household pets in a single-family dwelling or duplex; or","a maximum of three (3) household pets in a unit of an apartment building."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"other_limits":{"label":"Other animal limits","value":"Household pets in total: no more than five in a single-family dwelling or duplex, or three in an apartment unit. Birds: no more than five in a single-family dwelling or duplex, two in an apartment unit.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf","title":"Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James","section":"s. 4.1","quotes":["a maximum of five (5) household pets in a single-family dwelling or duplex","a maximum of three (3) household pets in a unit of an apartment building"]},{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf","title":"Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James","section":"s. 4.3.3","quotes":["five (5) birds in a single-family dwelling or duplex"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"exceptions":{"label":"Exceptions","value":"The household-pet limits do not include a litter of puppies or kittens. Four or more dogs need a kennel licence.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf","title":"Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James","section":"s. 4.1","quotes":["The limits prescribed in this section do not include any litter of puppies or kittens."]},{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf","title":"Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James","section":"s. 4.2.1(b)","quotes":["(b) A person in a single-family dwelling or duplex may not permit more than three dogs to be kept or harboured on a parcel without having procured a valid kennel licence."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"$25 for exceeding the maximum number of household pets or of dogs.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf","title":"Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James","section":"Sched. D","quotes":["Exceed maximum number of household","Exceed maximum number of dogs"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006 (office consolidation March 27, 2025, amended by Bylaw No. 1081, 2025)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf","title":"Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James","section":"s. 1.1","quotes":["“District of Fort St. James Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006”"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe District's [Animal Regulation Bylaw 833](<https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf>) limits pets by type of home. Poultry, farm animals and bees are under a different part of the bylaw. See the backyard-chickens answer.\n\n| Home | Dogs | Household pets in total | Birds |\n|---|---|---|---|\n| Single-family dwelling or duplex | 3 | 5 | 5 |\n| Apartment unit | 2 | 3 | 2 |\n\n## Good to know\n\n- The bylaw sets no separate limit for cats. Cats count toward the household-pet total.\n- A litter of puppies or kittens, under six months old, does not count toward the limits.\n- Four or more dogs need a kennel licence. A kennel is a building for four or more dogs, and the licence costs $50 and needs inspection and building-permit approval.\n- Exceeding the maximum number of household pets or dogs is a $25 fine. Birds over the limit are also $25.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf","title":"Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","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/fort-st-james/how-many-pets/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/how-many-pets.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/how-many-pets.json"}}