---
title: How many dogs or cats you can keep in Kimberley
question: "How many dogs or cats can I keep?"
place: Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/kimberley
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Kimberley
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/how-many-pets/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/how-many-pets.json"
---

# How many dogs or cats you can keep in Kimberley

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

**Short answer:** The City of Kimberley allows no more than three dogs older than four months on any lot or dwelling. The Animal Control Bylaw sets no limit on cats. Kennels are banned. Livestock, poultry and rabbits may not be kept, and bees only on Industrial-zoned land.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Kimberley, https://www.kimberley.ca)  
**Cost:** Municipal ticket for more than three dogs is $75 first offence, $150 each later one. Operating a kennel is $100 and $200.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Enforcement Officer, 250-427-9663
- Email: Bylaw Enforcement Officer, bylaw@kimberley.ca

## Key facts

- **Dogs allowed:** No more than three dogs older than four months of age on any lot or dwelling.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016, City of Kimberley (consolidated for convenience, March 10, 2017), s. 19](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220)
  - Official wording: "No owner or occupier of a lot or dwelling shall keep or harbour more than three (3) dogs older" … "than four (4) months of age on that lot or dwelling."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Cats allowed:** None set. Kimberley's Animal Control Bylaw sets no limit on cats.
- **Other animal limits:** Livestock, poultry and rabbits may not be kept anywhere in the City. Bees only on Industrial-zoned land. Operating a kennel (four or more dogs or other animals trained, cared for, bred, boarded or kept for any purpose) is banned.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016, City of Kimberley (consolidated for convenience, March 10, 2017), ss. 18, 46, 47, 48 and s. 4(o)](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220)
  - Official wording: "No person shall operate a kennel within the City." … "Livestock shall not be permitted to be kept, harboured or raised within the City." … "No parcel of land within the City may be used for the keeping, harbouring or raising of poultry" … "four (4) or more dogs or other animals" … "no parcel of land within the City may be used for the keeping, harbouring or raising of bees."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Exceptions:** Dogs four months old or younger are not counted toward the three-dog limit. The bylaw does not apply to guide dogs. The bylaw offers no kennel licence: operating a kennel is banned outright.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016, City of Kimberley (consolidated for convenience, March 10, 2017), ss. 7, 18, 19](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw does not apply to Guide dogs." … "No person shall operate a kennel within the City." … "than four (4) months of age on that lot or dwelling."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** Municipal ticket: keeping more than three dogs $75 first offence, $150 each later offence. Operating a kennel $100 and $200.
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 2540, 2016, Schedule 2](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/37089)
  - Official wording: "Keeping more than three dogs 19 75 150" … "Operate a kennel 18 100 200"
  - Source: [Animal Control, Licencing & Fines](https://www.kimberley.ca/services/bylaws/animal-control)
  - Official wording: "| Keeping more than three dogs | 19 | $75 | $150"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** City of Kimberley Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016, City of Kimberley (consolidated for convenience, March 10, 2017), s. 1](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220)
  - Official wording: "City of Kimberley Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Under the [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016](<https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220>), no more than three dogs older than four months may be kept on any lot or dwelling. Dogs four months old or younger are not counted. No zone-based differences are stated.

## Good to know

- The bylaw sets no limit on cats, and no combined cap on total pets. Its kennel rule covers four or more "dogs or other animals", so ask the City if you keep many cats.
- Operating a kennel (four or more dogs or other animals trained, cared for, bred, boarded or kept for any purpose) is banned. The bylaw offers no kennel licence, and we found no permit or zone that allows more dogs.
- Livestock, poultry and rabbits may not be kept anywhere in the City. Bees are allowed only on Industrial-zoned land. The City's zoning rules appear to allow some livestock, so see the backyard chickens answer and confirm with the City.
- A municipal ticket for keeping more than three dogs is $75 for a first offence and $150 for each later one. Operating a kennel is $100 and $200.
- The bylaw does not apply to guide dogs.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016 (PDF)](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220)

## Related questions

- [Kimberley dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/dog-licence.md)
- [Kimberley backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Kimberley rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/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)
- [Cranbrook](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cranbrook/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)
- [Creston](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/creston/how-many-pets.md)
- [Sparwood](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sparwood/how-many-pets.md)
- [Elkford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/elkford/how-many-pets.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016 (PDF), City of Kimberley (consolidated for convenience, March 10, 2017)](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 2540, 2016 (PDF), City of Kimberley](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/37089) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Animal Control, City of Kimberley](https://www.kimberley.ca/services/bylaws/animal-control) (read 2026-11-05)

_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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Kimberley. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/how-many-pets/_