--- title: How many dogs or cats you can keep in Gibsons question: "How many dogs or cats can I keep in Gibsons?" place: Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/gibsons category: Pets, animals and wildlife owner: municipal owner_body: Town of Gibsons sources_read: 2026-11-06 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/how-many-pets/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/how-many-pets.json" --- # How many dogs or cats you can keep in Gibsons **Question:** How many dogs or cats can I keep in Gibsons? **Short answer:** In Gibsons, you may keep no more than 4 household pets on a property, including no more than 2 dogs over 6 months old and 4 cats over 12 weeks old. Exceeding the limit is a $250 bylaw notice. **Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Gibsons, https://www.gibsons.ca) **Cost:** Bylaw notice for too many pets: $250 ($150 if paid early, $350 late). **How long:** Standing rule. **Where:** - Phone: Bylaw Officer, Town of Gibsons, 604-886-2274 - Email: Bylaw Officer, beo@gibsons.ca ## Key facts - **Dogs allowed:** No more than 2 dogs over 6 months old on any property (within an overall limit of 4 household pets). - Source: [Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw No. 1328, 2025, s. 2.1](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/166385/) - Official wording: "No person shall keep or allow to be kept on any property more than 4" … "household pets, including not more than 2 dogs over the age of 6 months" … "and not more than 4 cats over the age of 12 weeks, excluding a veterinary" … "business on a parcel zoned for that use." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Cats allowed:** No more than 4 cats over 12 weeks old on any property (within an overall limit of 4 household pets). - Source: [Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw No. 1328, 2025, s. 2.1](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/166385/) - Official wording: "No person shall keep or allow to be kept on any property more than 4" … "household pets, including not more than 2 dogs over the age of 6 months" … "and not more than 4 cats over the age of 12 weeks, excluding a veterinary" … "business on a parcel zoned for that use." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Other animal limits:** No more than 4 household pets in total on a property. 'Household pet' means a fully domesticated animal such as a dog, cat, reptile, bird or rodent. It does not include horses, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, fur-bearing animals or animals kept for food or profit. - Source: [Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw No. 1328, 2025, s. 2.1](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/166385/) - Official wording: "No person shall keep or allow to be kept on any property more than 4" … "household pets, including not more than 2 dogs over the age of 6 months" … "and not more than 4 cats over the age of 12 weeks, excluding a veterinary" … "business on a parcel zoned for that use." - Source: [Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw No. 1328, 2025, s. 1 definition of Household Pet](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/166385/) - Official wording: "such as a dog, cat, reptile, bird or rodent. A household pet does" … "not include any type of horse, cow, pig, sheep, goat, chicken, turkey or captive" … "fur-bearing animal, or any animal kept for food or profit." - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, Zoning Bylaw 1342, s. 3.8.2.1](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/) - Official wording: "other than household pets is prohibited in all zones except the AG zone." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Exceptions:** The limit does not apply to a veterinary business on a parcel zoned for that use. Dogs under 6 months and cats under 12 weeks are not counted in the dog and cat limits. - Source: [Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw No. 1328, 2025, s. 2.1](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/166385/) - Official wording: "No person shall keep or allow to be kept on any property more than 4" … "household pets, including not more than 2 dogs over the age of 6 months" … "and not more than 4 cats over the age of 12 weeks, excluding a veterinary" … "business on a parcel zoned for that use." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Fine:** Bylaw notice for exceeding permitted pets: $250 ($150 if paid early, $350 late). - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1125, Schedule A, Bylaw 1328 s. 2.1](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/104779/) - Official wording: "ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL BYLAW NO. 1328, 2025 1328 2.1 Exceed permitted pets $250 $150 $350 Y 1328 2.2 Contravene zoning $200 $150 $250 Y" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Bylaw:** Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw No. 1328, 2025 - Source: [Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw No. 1328, 2025, Title](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/166385/) - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as "Town of Gibsons Animal Care and" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 ## How it works Section 2.1 of the [Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw No. 1328]() limits the pets on any property in Gibsons: - No more than 2 dogs over 6 months old. - No more than 4 cats over 12 weeks old. - No more than 4 household pets in total. A household pet is a fully domesticated animal such as a dog, cat, reptile, bird or rodent. It does not include horses, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, fur-bearing animals, or animals kept for food or profit. ## Good to know - Dogs under 6 months and cats under 12 weeks are not counted in the dog and cat limits. The bylaw does not say whether they count toward the total of 4. - The limit does not apply to a veterinary business on a parcel zoned for that use. - Animals other than household pets are allowed only in the AG (agricultural) zone under [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342](). Wild or exotic animals listed in the bylaw are prohibited. - The bylaw describes no kennel licence or permit for more pets. - Exceeding the limit is a bylaw notice of $250 ($150 if paid early, $350 late). - Questions: Bylaw Officer, 604-886-2274 or beo@gibsons.ca. ## Official forms and pages - [Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw No. 1328 (Town of Gibsons)](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/166385/) ## Related questions - [Gibsons dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/dog-licence.md) - [Gibsons backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/backyard-chickens.md) - [Gibsons dog leash rules and off-leash areas](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/dog-leash-rules.md) ## The same question elsewhere - [Dog and cat limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/how-many-pets.md) - [Bowen Island](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/how-many-pets.md) - [West Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/west-vancouver/how-many-pets.md) - [Lions Bay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lions-bay/how-many-pets.md) - [Sechelt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/how-many-pets.md) - [District of North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/how-many-pets.md) - [North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver/how-many-pets.md) ## Sources - [Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw No. 1328, 2025, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/166385/) (read 2026-11-06) - [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1125, Town of Gibsons (consolidated)](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/104779/) (read 2026-11-06) - [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/) (read 2026-11-06) - [Contact us, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.ca/contact-us/) (read 2026-11-06) _Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Town of Gibsons. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/how-many-pets/_