{"title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in New Westminster","question":"How many dogs or cats can I keep?","slug":"how-many-pets","place":{"path":"ca/bc/new-westminster","name":"New Westminster","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 New Westminster","url":"https://www.newwestcity.ca"},"short_answer":"In New Westminster you may keep no more than three dogs on any parcel of land or real property. The City's Animal Care and Control Bylaw sets no limit on cats, and states no exception to the dog limit.","aliases":["dog limit new westminster","how many dogs allowed","how many cats allowed new westminster"],"cost":"Keeping more than three dogs: bylaw notice $250 ($150 if paid within 14 days); municipal ticket $500.","how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Animal Services","value":"604-519-2008"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal Care and Control Bylaw page","url":"https://www.newwestcity.ca/services/animal-services/animal-care-and-control"},{"title":"Animal Care and Control Bylaw 7586 (PDF)","url":"https://www.newwestcity.ca/database/files/library/7586_Animal.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"New Westminster dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-westminster/dog-licence/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/burnaby","name":"Burnaby","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burnaby/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/coquitlam","name":"Coquitlam","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coquitlam/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/port-coquitlam","name":"Port Coquitlam","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-coquitlam/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/port-moody","name":"Port Moody","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-moody/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/belcarra","name":"Belcarra","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/surrey","name":"Surrey","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/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 any parcel of land or real property.","short":"Max three dogs","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.newwestcity.ca/database/files/library/7586_Animal.pdf","title":"Animal Care and Control Bylaw 7586, 2013 (consolidated July 12, 2018) (PDF)","section":"s. 12.3","quotes":["No owner shall keep more than three (3) dogs on any parcel of land or real property."]},{"url":"https://www.newwestcity.ca/services/animal-services/animal-care-and-control","title":"Animal Care and Control Bylaw page, City of New Westminster","section":"Licensing","quotes":["There is a limit of three dogs on any parcel of land or real property."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"cat_limit":{"label":"Cats allowed","value":null,"status":"none","note":"New Westminster's Animal Care and Control Bylaw sets no limit on cats.","sources":[]},"other_limits":{"label":"Other animal limits","value":"No wild or exotic animals (Schedule A list) and no roosters may be kept in the City.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.newwestcity.ca/database/files/library/7586_Animal.pdf","title":"Animal Care and Control Bylaw 7586, 2013 (consolidated July 12, 2018) (PDF)","section":"s. 10.9, 10.11","quotes":["No person shall keep any wild animal within the City.","No person shall keep a rooster within the City."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"exceptions":{"label":"Exceptions","value":null,"status":"none","note":"The Animal Care and Control Bylaw states no exception, kennel licence or age allowance for the dog limit.","sources":[]},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Keeping more than three dogs: bylaw notice $250 ($150 if paid within 14 days; $275 late); municipal ticket information $500.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.newwestcity.ca/database/files/library/Consolidated_Bylaw_7318__2009_Bylaw_Notice_Enforcement__2026_07_29_consolidation_.pdf","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 7318, 2009 (consolidated July 29, 2026) (PDF)","section":"Sch. A Part 1, s. 12.3","quotes":["Keeping more than three 250.00 150.00 275.00"]},{"url":"https://www.newwestcity.ca/database/files/library/Consolidated_Bylaw_8077__2019_Municipal_Ticket_Information__2026_07_29_consolidation_(1).pdf","title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw 8077, 2019 (consolidated July 29, 2026) (PDF)","section":"Sch. B Part 1, s. 12.3","quotes":["Keeping more than three dogs 500.00"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 7586, 2013","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.newwestcity.ca/database/files/library/7586_Animal.pdf","title":"Animal Care and Control Bylaw 7586, 2013 (consolidated July 12, 2018) (PDF)","section":"s. 1","quotes":["This bylaw may be cited as “Animal Care and Control Bylaw NO. 7586, 2013”"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":4,"matched":4,"none":2,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe [Animal Care and Control Bylaw 7586](<https://www.newwestcity.ca/database/files/library/7586_Animal.pdf>) (section 12.3) says no one may keep more than three dogs on any parcel of land or real property in New Westminster. The bylaw states no exception, kennel licence or age allowance. It sets no limit on cats, but cats must have permanent identification. It sets no combined limit across species.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- The bylaw does not say how the limit applies to a strata or apartment building. Ask Animal Services (604-519-2008).\n- No wild or exotic animals (the Schedule A list) and no roosters may be kept in the City. See the backyard chickens answer for hens and bees.\n- Keeping more than three dogs: a bylaw notice is $250 ($150 if paid within 14 days); a municipal ticket is $500.\n- A landlord, strata council or housing co-op may set stricter pet rules of its own.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.newwestcity.ca/services/animal-services/animal-care-and-control","title":"Animal Care and Control Bylaw page, City of New Westminster","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.newwestcity.ca/database/files/library/7586_Animal.pdf","title":"Animal Care and Control Bylaw 7586, 2013 (consolidated July 12, 2018) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.newwestcity.ca/database/files/library/Consolidated_Bylaw_7318__2009_Bylaw_Notice_Enforcement__2026_07_29_consolidation_.pdf","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 7318, 2009 (consolidated July 29, 2026) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.newwestcity.ca/database/files/library/Consolidated_Bylaw_8077__2019_Municipal_Ticket_Information__2026_07_29_consolidation_(1).pdf","title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw 8077, 2019 (consolidated July 29, 2026) (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 4 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 2 are recorded as not set."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-westminster/how-many-pets/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-westminster/how-many-pets.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-westminster/how-many-pets.json"}}