How many dogs or cats you can keep in Port Alberni
How many dogs or cats can I keep?
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.
Key facts
| Dogs allowed | None set. Port Alberni's bylaws set no limit on how many dogs or cats a household may keep. |
|---|---|
| Cats allowed | None set. Port Alberni's bylaws set no limit on how many dogs or cats a household may keep. |
| Other animal limits | 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.Zoning Bylaw No. 5105, 2024 (October 2026 update), s. 6.23.2-6.23.3, 6.23.7 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingThe 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 |
| Exceptions | 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.Zoning Bylaw No. 5105, 2024 (October 2026 update), Definitions, KENNEL · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingin 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 |
| Fine | Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read. |
| Bylaw | Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read. |
How it works
Neither the Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126 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 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.
Good to know
- 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.
- Each dog over six months old needs a licence each year.
- The Zoning Bylaw's animal section still names the old Animal Control Bylaw No. 4593, which Bylaw 5126 repealed.
- Questions: Bylaw Services, 250-720-2831, or Development Services, 250-720-2835.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Qualicum Beach · Parksville · Cumberland · Comox · Courtenay · Lantzville
Sources
- Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (consolidated, includes 5126-2) (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Animal Control and Wildlife, City of Port Alberni (read 2026-11-05)
- Zoning Bylaw No. 5105, 2024 (October 2026 update) (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Zoning, City of Port Alberni (read 2026-11-05)
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. How answers are checked.