{"title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Port Alberni","question":"How many dogs or cats can I keep?","slug":"how-many-pets","place":{"path":"ca/bc/port-alberni","name":"Port Alberni","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 Port Alberni","url":"https://www.portalberni.ca"},"short_answer":"Port Alberni's bylaws set no limit on how many dogs or cats a household may keep. Each dog over six months needs a licence. Hens and bees are limited by lot size. A kennel (3 or more dogs or cats) is a separate zoned use.","aliases":["pet limit port alberni","maximum dogs per household port alberni","cat limit port alberni","kennel licence port alberni"],"cost":null,"how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Services","value":"250-720-2831"},{"type":"email","label":"Bylaw Services","value":"bylaw@portalberni.ca"},{"type":"phone","label":"Development Services (zoning questions)","value":"250-720-2835"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (PDF)","url":"https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf"},{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 5105, 2024 (PDF)","url":"https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/doc_library/5105_Zoning_Bylaw_No_5105_2024_Oct%202026%20Update.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Port Alberni dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"backyard-chickens","title":"Port Alberni backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/backyard-chickens/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/qualicum-beach","name":"Qualicum Beach","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/qualicum-beach/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/parksville","name":"Parksville","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/parksville/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/cumberland","name":"Cumberland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/comox","name":"Comox","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/courtenay","name":"Courtenay","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/lantzville","name":"Lantzville","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lantzville/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":null,"status":"none","note":"Port Alberni's bylaws set no limit on how many dogs or cats a household may keep.","sources":[]},"cat_limit":{"label":"Cats allowed","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Port Alberni's bylaws set no limit on how many dogs or cats a household may keep.","sources":[]},"other_limits":{"label":"Other animal limits","value":"Hens and bees are limited by lot size in single detached residential zones: up to 4 hens on lots 350 to 450 m², up to 6 on lots over 450 m² and under 2,000 m²; up to 2 hives on lots of 600 to 929 m², up to 4 hives on larger lots.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/doc_library/5105_Zoning_Bylaw_No_5105_2024_Oct%202026%20Update.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 5105, 2024 (October 2026 update) (PDF)","section":"s. 6.23.2-6.23.3, 6.23.7","quotes":["The keeping of female poultry is prohibited on lots less than 350 m2","no more than four (4) female poultry may be kept","a maximum of 2 hives of bees on lots between"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"exceptions":{"label":"Exceptions","value":"No per-home pet limit is stated. The Zoning Bylaw defines a 'kennel' as a place where 3 or more dogs or cats are kept for any purpose (or 2 or more dogs for breeding); kennel is a separate zoned use.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/doc_library/5105_Zoning_Bylaw_No_5105_2024_Oct%202026%20Update.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 5105, 2024 (October 2026 update) (PDF)","section":"Definitions, KENNEL","quotes":["in which 3 or more dogs or cats are or are intended to be trained, cared for,","in which 2 or more dogs are kept for breeding"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_found","sources":[]},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_found","sources":[]}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":2,"matched":2,"none":2,"unknown":2},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nNeither the [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126](<https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf>) nor the City's Animal Control page sets a limit on the number of dogs or cats at a home. The [Zoning Bylaw No. 5105](<https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/doc_library/5105_Zoning_Bylaw_No_5105_2024_Oct%202026%20Update.pdf>) defines a \"kennel\" as a place where 3 or more dogs or cats are kept for any purpose (or 2 or more dogs for breeding), and a kennel is a separate zoned use. That is a definition, not a stated limit on pets at a home, so ask Development Services if you plan to keep several animals.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Hens and bees are limited by lot size in single detached residential zones: up to 4 hens on lots of 350 to 450 m2, up to 6 on lots over 450 m2 and under 2,000 m2; up to 2 hives on lots of 600 to 929 m2, up to 4 on larger lots. See the backyard chickens answer.\n- Each dog over six months old needs a licence each year.\n- The Zoning Bylaw's animal section still names the old Animal Control Bylaw No. 4593, which Bylaw 5126 repealed.\n- Questions: Bylaw Services, 250-720-2831, or Development Services, 250-720-2835.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf","title":"Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (consolidated, includes 5126-2) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.portalberni.ca/animal-control-and-wildlife","title":"Animal Control and Wildlife, City of Port Alberni","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/doc_library/5105_Zoning_Bylaw_No_5105_2024_Oct%202026%20Update.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 5105, 2024 (October 2026 update) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.portalberni.ca/zoning","title":"Zoning, City of Port Alberni","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 2 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 2 are recorded as not set; 2 could not be confirmed."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/how-many-pets/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/how-many-pets.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/how-many-pets.json"}}