{"title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Fort St. John","question":"How many dogs or cats can I keep?","slug":"how-many-pets","place":{"path":"ca/bc/fort-st-john","name":"Fort St. John","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 Fort St. John","url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca"},"short_answer":"In Fort St. John you may keep no more than three dogs on a parcel or in a dwelling. The Animal Control Bylaw sets no limit on cats. Keeping more than three dogs is a $200 bylaw notice.","aliases":["dog limit fort st john","cat limit fort st john","how many dogs allowed fort st john"],"cost":null,"how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Services","value":"250-787-8150"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal Control Bylaw 2556, 2021 (consolidated PDF)","url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw"},{"title":"Animal Control page, City of Fort St. John","url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/bylaw-services/animal-control"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Fort St. John dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"backyard-chickens","title":"Fort St. John backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/backyard-chickens/"},{"slug":"dangerous-dogs","title":"Fort St. John rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/dangerous-dogs/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/dawson-creek","name":"Dawson Creek","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/pouce-coupe","name":"Pouce Coupe","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pouce-coupe/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":"No more than three dogs on a parcel or within a dwelling.","short":"Max three dogs","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023) (PDF)","section":"s. 16","quotes":["No person may Keep more than three Dogs on a parcel or within a dwelling."]},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/bylaw-services/animal-control","title":"Animal Control, City of Fort St. John","section":"Regulations","quotes":["maximum of three (3) dogs per household"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"cat_limit":{"label":"Cats allowed","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Fort St. John's Animal Control Bylaw sets no limit on cats.","sources":[]},"other_limits":{"label":"Other animal limits","value":"No fowl (chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and similar birds) may be kept in the city. Livestock may be kept only as part of an agricultural use permitted by the Zoning Bylaw. Animals listed in Schedule B (such as exotic mammals, large snakes, venomous animals) are prohibited.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023) (PDF)","section":"ss. 45, 48, 50","quotes":["No person shall Keep Fowl within the city limits.","No person shall Keep Livestock, unless the keeping is part of an agricultural use of land permitted","No person shall Keep an Animal listed in Schedule “B”"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"exceptions":{"label":"Exceptions","value":"No kennel, zoning or puppy-age exception is stated. Visitors for up to two consecutive weeks, or 30 days a year, are exempt from Part Two, which includes the three-dog limit (s. 15). RCMP dogs are exempt (s. 72). Animals in vet hospitals, SPCA pounds or school research facilities are not covered (s. 71).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023) (PDF)","section":"s. 71","quotes":["in a veterinary hospital under the care of a licensed veterinarian","in a public or BC SPCA pound","not exceeding thirty days in a calendar year;","is exempt from this Part.","Part Two of this Bylaw shall not apply to Dogs owned by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Bylaw notice: keeping more than three dogs is $200 ($150 if paid within 14 days; $250 on days 31–60). A compliance agreement is available.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023) (PDF)","section":"Schedule C","quotes":["Keep more than three dogs","$200.00","$150.00","$250.00"]},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-brochure","title":"Animal Control brochure (revised January 2024) (PDF)","section":"Bylaw Infractions","quotes":["Keep more than 3 dogs","$200"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to include Bylaw 2584, 2023)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023) (PDF)","section":"s. 1","quotes":["This Bylaw may be cited as “Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021”."]}],"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\nThe [Animal Control Bylaw](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw) says no more than three dogs may be kept on a parcel or within a dwelling. It defines \"animal\" so that it excludes domestic cats, and we found no limit on cats in the bylaw, the brochure or the City's Animal Control page. The bylaw states no kennel, zoning or puppy-age exception to the dog limit.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- A bylaw notice for keeping more than three dogs is $200 ($150 if paid within 14 days; $250 on days 31–60). A compliance agreement may be available.\n- Visitors for up to two consecutive weeks, or 30 days a year, are exempt from this part of the bylaw. RCMP dogs are exempt.\n- No fowl (chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and similar birds) may be kept in the city. Livestock is allowed only as part of an agricultural use permitted by the Zoning Bylaw. Animals listed in Schedule B, such as exotic mammals, large snakes and venomous animals, are prohibited.\n- No limit on other small pets, such as rabbits, caged birds or fish, was found.\n- To ask about a particular situation, such as a kennel or a breeder, call Bylaw Services at 250-787-8150.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/bylaw-services/animal-control","title":"Animal Control, City of Fort St. John","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-brochure","title":"Animal Control brochure (revised January 2024) (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/fort-st-john/how-many-pets/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/how-many-pets.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/how-many-pets.json"}}