---
title: How many dogs or cats you can keep in Princeton
question: "How many dogs or cats can I keep?"
place: Princeton, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/princeton
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: Town of Princeton
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/how-many-pets/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/how-many-pets.json"
---

# How many dogs or cats you can keep in Princeton

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

**Short answer:** In Princeton, you may keep no more than two dogs over eight weeks old on a property, unless you hold a business licence as a veterinarian, animal breeder, animal shelter or animal clinic. The bylaw sets no limit on cats.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Princeton, https://www.princeton.ca)  
**Cost:** Ticket for more than two dogs: $150.  
**How long:** Not applicable.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Services, 778-720-6114 or 250-295-3135 (Town Hall hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- Email: Bylaw Services, bylaw@princeton.ca

## Key facts

- **Dogs allowed:** No more than two dogs over eight weeks old on a property, unless the owner has a business licence as a veterinarian, animal breeder, animal shelter or animal clinic.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006, s. 13](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/163/)
  - Official wording: "shall not permit, suffer or allow more than two dogs over the age of eight weeks to be kept or harboured on such premises"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Cats allowed:** None set. Princeton's Animal Control Bylaw sets no limit on cats.
- **Other animal limits:** Backyard hens: no more than four, and only where hens are a permitted use (RC zone). No other pet limits found.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2013, s. 6.5.1](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/)
  - Official wording: "No more than four backyard hens are permitted;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Exceptions:** A business licence as a veterinarian, animal breeder, animal shelter or animal clinic under the Town's business bylaw lets a property have more than two dogs.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006, s. 13](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/163/)
  - Official wording: "without first having applied for and obtained a business licence for a veterinarian, animal breeder, animal shelter or animal clinic"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** $150 for more than two dogs.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006, Schedule C](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/163/)
  - Official wording: "More than two dogs 13 $150.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006, s. 1](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/163/)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as “Animal Control Bylaw, No. 782, 2006”"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The Town's [Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/163/) says no more than two dogs over eight weeks old may be kept on a property. The exception is an owner who holds a business licence as a veterinarian, animal breeder, animal shelter or animal clinic. The bylaw sets no limit on cats, and no puppy or kitten age exception was found.

## Good to know

- No limits on other pets were found. Backyard hens are limited by the [Zoning Bylaw](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/): no more than four, and only where hens are a permitted use (the RC zone). See the backyard-chickens answer.
- A ticket for keeping more than two dogs is $150.
- Every dog over eight weeks old also needs a licence (see the dog-licence answer).
- To ask about a particular situation, call Bylaw Services at 250-295-3135 or 778-720-6114.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006 (PDF), Town of Princeton](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/163/)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/)

## Related questions

- [Princeton dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/dog-licence.md)
- [Princeton backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Princeton dog leash rules and off-leash areas](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/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)
- [Keremeos](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/how-many-pets.md)
- [Summerland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/summerland/how-many-pets.md)
- [Hope](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hope/how-many-pets.md)
- [Penticton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/penticton/how-many-pets.md)
- [Peachland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/peachland/how-many-pets.md)
- [Merritt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/merritt/how-many-pets.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006 (PDF), Town of Princeton](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/163/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaw Services, Town of Princeton](https://www.princeton.ca/p/bylaw-services) (read 2026-11-08)

_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 Town of Princeton. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/how-many-pets/_