--- title: How many dogs or cats you can keep in Lake Cowichan question: "How many dogs or cats can I keep in Lake Cowichan?" place: Lake Cowichan, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/lake-cowichan category: Pets, animals and wildlife owner: municipal owner_body: Town of Lake Cowichan sources_read: 2026-11-08 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/how-many-pets/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/how-many-pets.json" --- # How many dogs or cats you can keep in Lake Cowichan **Question:** How many dogs or cats can I keep in Lake Cowichan? **Short answer:** In Lake Cowichan, no more than two dogs are allowed on any parcel, except at a licensed veterinary clinic. The Animal Control Bylaw sets no limit on cats. Only canines over four months old count as dogs. **Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Lake Cowichan, https://www.lakecowichan.ca) **Cost:** Not stated. **How long:** Not applicable. **Where:** - In person: Town Hall, 39 South Shore Road, Lake Cowichan, BC V0R 2G0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) - Phone: Town Hall (bylaw and animal control; leave a message), 250-749-6681 ## Key facts - **Dogs allowed:** No more than two dogs on any parcel, except in the lawful and licensed operation of a veterinary medical clinic. - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, s. 6.1](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf) - Official wording: "No Owner shall keep, or permit to be kept, more than two (2) dogs" … "on any parcel except in the lawful and licenced operation of a" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Cats allowed:** None set. Lake Cowichan's Animal Control Bylaw sets no limit on cats. - **Other animal limits:** Backyard hens: no more than 6 per property. 'Restricted animals' (horses, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, roosters, turkeys, geese, ducks and other fowl) may not be kept on a parcel under 2 acres. - Source: [Animal Control Amendment Bylaw No. 1052-2021, s. 10.2](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1052-2021%20Amendment%20to%20Animal%20Control.pdf) - Official wording: "No person may keep more than 6 hens on a property." - Source: [Animal Control Amendment Bylaw No. 1052-2021, s. 2.1](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1052-2021%20Amendment%20to%20Animal%20Control.pdf) - Official wording: "RESTRICTED ANIMAL shall mean any horse, mule, cattle, ass, swine," - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, s. 12.1](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf) - Official wording: "on any parcel of land within the Town having an area of less than two (2) acres." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Exceptions:** A veterinary medical clinic may keep more than two dogs. Only canines over four months old count as dogs, so younger puppies are not counted. The Zoning Bylaw defines a kennel as three or more dogs on a parcel and bars kennels unless it specifically permits one. - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, s. 6.1](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf) - Official wording: "except in the lawful and licenced operation of a veterinary medical clinic." … "DOG shall mean any animal of the canine species over the age of four months, regardless of sex;" - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1055-2021 (consolidated Feb. 26, 2024), Part IV, definitions and Restricted Uses](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl//1055-2021%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20Consolidated%2026-02-24.pdf) - Official wording: "KENNEL means the keeping of three (3) or more dogs on a parcel" … "Unless specifically permitted by this bylaw, no parcel shall be used for:" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Fine:** None set. The Animal Control Bylaw lists no ticket amount for keeping more than two dogs. - **Bylaw:** Town of Lake Cowichan Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019 (as amended by Bylaw No. 1052-2021); Zoning Bylaw No. 1055-2021 (kennel definition). - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, s. 1](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf) - Official wording: "This bylaw may be cited for all purposes as “Town of Lake Cowichan Animal" - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1055-2021 (consolidated Feb. 26, 2024), Part IV](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl//1055-2021%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20Consolidated%2026-02-24.pdf) - Official wording: "KENNEL means the keeping of three (3) or more dogs" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 ## How it works The Town's [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019]() (as amended by [Bylaw No. 1052-2021]()) limits dogs to two per parcel. A veterinary medical clinic that is lawfully licensed is the one exception. The bylaw sets no limit on cats. ## Good to know - Only canines over four months old count as dogs, so younger puppies are not counted. - The [Zoning Bylaw No. 1055-2021]() defines a kennel as three or more dogs on a parcel and bars kennels unless the zone specifically permits one. - Backyard hens: no more than 6 per property, with conditions. See the backyard chickens answer. - Horses, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, roosters, turkeys, geese, ducks and other fowl are "restricted animals" and may not be kept on a parcel under 2 acres. - The bylaw lists no ticket amount for keeping more than two dogs. Ask Town Hall at 250-749-6681 how it is enforced. ## Official forms and pages - [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019 (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf) - [Animal Control Amendment Bylaw No. 1052-2021 (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1052-2021%20Amendment%20to%20Animal%20Control.pdf) - [Zoning Bylaw No. 1055-2021 (consolidated Feb. 26, 2024) (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl//1055-2021%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20Consolidated%2026-02-24.pdf) ## Related questions - [Lake Cowichan dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/dog-licence.md) - [Lake Cowichan backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/backyard-chickens.md) - [Lake Cowichan dog leash rules and off-leash areas](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/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) - [Duncan](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/duncan/how-many-pets.md) - [North Cowichan](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-cowichan/how-many-pets.md) - [Nanaimo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nanaimo/how-many-pets.md) - [Lantzville](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lantzville/how-many-pets.md) - [North Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-saanich/how-many-pets.md) - [Highlands](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/how-many-pets.md) ## Sources - [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019 (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Animal Control Amendment Bylaw No. 1052-2021 (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1052-2021%20Amendment%20to%20Animal%20Control.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Zoning Bylaw No. 1055-2021 (consolidated Feb. 26, 2024) (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl//1055-2021%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20Consolidated%2026-02-24.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) _Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 2 are recorded as not set. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Town of Lake Cowichan. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/how-many-pets/_