{"title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Sechelt","question":"How many dogs or cats can I keep in Sechelt?","slug":"how-many-pets","place":{"path":"ca/bc/sechelt","name":"Sechelt","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":"District of Sechelt","url":"https://www.sechelt.ca"},"short_answer":"In Sechelt, keeping more than 3 dogs is an offence under the Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw. No limit on cats was found. Urban hens and rabbits together are capped by lot size, from 6 on lots under 2,000 m² to unlimited over 1 hectare.","aliases":["pet limit sechelt","how many dogs sechelt","how many cats sechelt","dog limit sechelt"],"cost":"Bylaw notice for more than 3 dogs: $150. Animals kept contrary to the Zoning Bylaw: $150.","how_long":"Not applicable.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Enforcement","value":"604-885-1986 ext. 2"},{"type":"in_person","label":"Municipal Hall","value":"2nd Floor, 5797 Cowrie Street, Sechelt, BC V0N 3A0","note":"9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (the District page does not give the days of the week)"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 611, 2023 (PDF, scanned)","url":"https://www.sechelt.ca/media/rx3lr4ph/611-2023-animal-control-and-licensing-bylaw.pdf"},{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 580, 2022 (consolidated May 2025) (PDF)","url":"https://www.sechelt.ca/media/frrcd5c5/580-2022-zoning-bylaw.pdf"},{"title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026) (PDF)","url":"https://www.sechelt.ca/media/d0ibsbhf/515-2012-bylaw-notice-enforcement-implementation-consolidated.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Sechelt dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"backyard-chickens","title":"Sechelt backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/backyard-chickens/"},{"slug":"dog-leash-rules","title":"Sechelt dog leash rules and off-leash areas","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/dog-leash-rules/"},{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Sechelt bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/bylaw-fines/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/gibsons","name":"Gibsons","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/bowen-island","name":"Bowen Island","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/lantzville","name":"Lantzville","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lantzville/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/nanaimo","name":"Nanaimo","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nanaimo/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/lions-bay","name":"Lions Bay","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lions-bay/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/west-vancouver","name":"West Vancouver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/west-vancouver/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":"More than 3 dogs is an offence under the Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw (s. 3.1).","short":"Max 3 dogs","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sechelt.ca/media/d0ibsbhf/515-2012-bylaw-notice-enforcement-implementation-consolidated.pdf","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026) (PDF)","section":"Schedule A, Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw","quotes":["611, 2023 Section 3.1 More than 3 dogs $150 Yes"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"cat_limit":{"label":"Cats allowed","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"scanned","note":"The Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw is a scan with no readable text, so a cat limit could not be checked.","sources":[]},"other_limits":{"label":"Other animal limits","value":"Urban hens and rabbits (together): up to 6 on lots under 2,000 m², up to 12 on lots over 2,000 m² to 1 ha, unlimited over 1 ha. Not in RM1 or RM2 zones. Beehives depend on lot size.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sechelt.ca/media/frrcd5c5/580-2022-zoning-bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 580, 2022 (consolidated May 2025) (PDF)","section":"s. 2.9.4","quotes":["Urban hens and rabbits are permitted in Residential zones, other than the RM1 and RM2 zones","Less than 2,000 m2 6","Greater than 2,000 m2 to 1 ha 12"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"exceptions":{"label":"Exceptions","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"scanned","note":"The Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw is a scan, so its exceptions could not be read.","sources":[]},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Bylaw notice: $150 for more than 3 dogs (compliance agreement available). Animals kept contrary to the Zoning Bylaw: $150 (s. 10.2).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sechelt.ca/media/d0ibsbhf/515-2012-bylaw-notice-enforcement-implementation-consolidated.pdf","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026) (PDF)","section":"Schedule A, Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw","quotes":["611, 2023 Section 3.1 More than 3 dogs $150 Yes","Animals kept in contravention of the Zoning","Bylaw"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 611, 2023","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sechelt.ca/living-here/pets-and-wildlife/dog-licences/","title":"Dog Licences, District of Sechelt","section":"Dog Licences page","quotes":["Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 611, 2023"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":4,"matched":4,"none":0,"unknown":2},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 611](<https://www.sechelt.ca/media/rx3lr4ph/611-2023-animal-control-and-licensing-bylaw.pdf>) makes it an offence to keep more than 3 dogs (s. 3.1, as worded in the bylaw notice schedule). The bylaw is a scan with no readable text, so its exceptions and the properties it covers could not be read.\n\nNo official page or bylaw we read sets a limit on cats. The District's Cats page says pet licences are only required for dogs.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Hens and rabbits together: up to 6 on lots under 2,000 m², up to 12 on lots over 2,000 m² to 1 hectare, and unlimited over 1 hectare. They are not allowed in the RM1 and RM2 zones. See the backyard chickens answer.\n- The [Zoning Bylaw 580](<https://www.sechelt.ca/media/frrcd5c5/580-2022-zoning-bylaw.pdf>) defines a kennel as a place where three or more dogs, cats, birds or other domestic pets are boarded, groomed, harboured, trained, rescued or bred. We did not find kennel licensing rules in readable text.\n- A bylaw notice for more than 3 dogs is $150, and a compliance agreement may be available. Keeping animals contrary to the Zoning Bylaw is also $150.\n- Questions about exceptions: Bylaw Enforcement, 604-885-1986 ext. 2.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sechelt.ca/media/rx3lr4ph/611-2023-animal-control-and-licensing-bylaw.pdf","title":"Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 611, 2023 (PDF, scanned)","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.sechelt.ca/media/d0ibsbhf/515-2012-bylaw-notice-enforcement-implementation-consolidated.pdf","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.sechelt.ca/media/frrcd5c5/580-2022-zoning-bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 580, 2022 (consolidated May 2025) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.sechelt.ca/living-here/pets-and-wildlife/dog-licences/","title":"Dog Licences, District of Sechelt","accessed":"2026-11-06"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-06","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 could not be confirmed."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/how-many-pets/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/how-many-pets.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/how-many-pets.json"}}