--- title: How many dogs or cats you can keep in Rossland question: "How many dogs or cats can I keep?" place: Rossland, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/rossland category: Pets, animals and wildlife owner: municipal owner_body: City of Rossland sources_read: 2026-11-05 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/how-many-pets/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/how-many-pets.json" --- # How many dogs or cats you can keep in Rossland **Question:** How many dogs or cats can I keep? **Short answer:** In the City of Rossland you can keep no more than 4 dogs on a property, unless it is a veterinary clinic, animal shelter, licensed animal-care business or a kennel where zoning allows one. The bylaw states no limit on cats. **Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Rossland, https://rossland.ca) **Cost:** Bylaw notice for too many animals: $150 if paid in 1 to 14 days, $300 after that. A municipal ticket amount is not available. **Where:** - Phone: City Hall (Bylaw Enforcement Officer), 250-362-7396 ## Key facts - **Dogs allowed:** No more than 4 dogs in total on any real property, unless it is a licensed veterinary clinic, an animal shelter, a licensed animal-care business, or a kennel where the Zoning Bylaw permits one. - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025, s. 7.9](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764) - Official wording: "A Person shall not keep or allow to be kept on any real property more than a total of 4 dogs unless the" … "a) A licensed veterinary clinic;" … "b) An Animal Shelter; or" … "d) A Kennel where use is permitted under the City's Zoning Bylaw" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Cats allowed:** None set. Rossland's Animal Control Bylaw limits only dogs and sets no limit on cats. - **Other animal limits:** Livestock may be kept only where the Zoning Bylaw permits. Hens: no more than 15 per property. Roosters and other poultry are not allowed in residential areas. - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025, s. 11.1](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764) - Official wording: "No person shall keep Livestock in any area of the City unless permitted under the Zoning Bylaw." - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025, s. 12.3](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764) - Official wording: "No more than fifteen (15) Hens may be kept at a property." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Exceptions:** More than 4 dogs are allowed only at a licensed veterinary clinic, animal shelter, licensed animal-care business or a kennel where zoning permits. Zoning Bylaw 2864 permits a kennel only in the RR (Rural Residential) zone. Puppies are not excluded from the count. - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025, s. 7.9-7.10](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764) - Official wording: "c) A licenced business that provides care for Animals in a manner permitted by" … "No person shall own, operate, or maintain a kennel within the City except where expressly permitted" - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2864, 2026, s. 8.1 RR zone permitted uses](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/55924) - Official wording: "The following uses and no others shall be permitted in the RR Zone:" … "e) Agricultural Use f) Agriculture Stand g) Kennel" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Fine:** Bylaw notice for 'Too many animals': $150 early payment (1-14 days), $300 penalty. Kennel use contrary to the Zoning Bylaw: $150/$300. - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025, Schedule B (Bylaw Notice Enforcement offences)](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764) - Official wording: "SCHEDULE B- BYLAW ENFORCEMENT NOTICE OFFENCES" … "EARLY PAYMENT" … "Too many animals 7.9 $150.00 $300.00" … "Kennel use contrary to Zoning Bylaw 7.10 $150.00 $300.00" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Bylaw:** Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025 (s. 7.9) - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025, Citation](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764) - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as the "Animal Control Bylaw" No. 2862, 2025" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 ## How it works In the City of Rossland, section 7.9 of the [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764) says no one may keep more than 4 dogs in total on any real property. The exceptions are a licensed veterinary clinic, an animal shelter, a licensed animal-care business, and a kennel where the Zoning Bylaw permits one. No separate rule for different zones or lot sizes is stated. ## Good to know - The [Zoning Bylaw No. 2864](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/55924) permits a kennel only in the RR (Rural Residential) zone. - Puppies are not excluded from the count of 4 in the bylaw text, even though a dog under four months old needs no licence. - The Animal Control Bylaw limits only dogs. No limit on cats is stated, so ask City Hall at 250-362-7396 if you have many. - Keeping more than the limit can bring a bylaw notice of $150 if paid in 1 to 14 days, or $300 after that. Using a kennel contrary to the Zoning Bylaw is also $150 or $300. The City's municipal ticket bylaw is a scan we could not read, so a municipal ticket amount is not available. - Livestock may be kept only where the Zoning Bylaw permits it. Hens have their own rules; see the backyard chickens answer. ## Official forms and pages - [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025 (PDF)](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764) - [Zoning Bylaw No. 2864, 2026 (PDF)](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/55924) ## Related questions - [Rossland dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/dog-licence.md) - [Rossland backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/backyard-chickens.md) ## The same question elsewhere - [Dog and cat limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/how-many-pets.md) - [Warfield](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/how-many-pets.md) - [Trail](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/how-many-pets.md) - [Montrose](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/how-many-pets.md) - [Fruitvale](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/how-many-pets.md) - [Salmo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/how-many-pets.md) - [Grand Forks](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/grand-forks/how-many-pets.md) ## Sources - [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025 (PDF), City of Rossland](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764) (read 2026-11-05) - [Zoning Bylaw No. 2864, 2026 (PDF), City of Rossland](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/55924) (read 2026-11-05) - [Noise and Nuisances, City of Rossland (City Hall contact)](https://rossland.ca/bylaw-enforcement/noise-and-nuisances/) (read 2026-11-05) _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 City of Rossland. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/how-many-pets/_