How many dogs or cats you can keep in Sechelt
How many dogs or cats can I keep in Sechelt?
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.
Key facts
| Dogs allowed | More than 3 dogs is an offence under the Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw (s. 3.1).Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026), Schedule A, Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wording611, 2023 Section 3.1 More than 3 dogs $150 Yes |
|---|---|
| Cats allowed | Not confirmed. The Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw is a scan with no readable text, so a cat limit could not be checked. |
| Other animal limits | 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.Zoning Bylaw No. 580, 2022 (consolidated May 2025), s. 2.9.4 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingUrban 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 |
| Exceptions | Not confirmed. The Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw is a scan, so its exceptions could not be read. |
| Fine | Bylaw notice: $150 for more than 3 dogs (compliance agreement available). Animals kept contrary to the Zoning Bylaw: $150 (s. 10.2).Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026), Schedule A, Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wording611, 2023 Section 3.1 More than 3 dogs $150 Yes Animals kept in contravention of the Zoning Bylaw |
| Bylaw | Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 611, 2023Dog Licences, Dog Licences page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingAnimal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 611, 2023 |
How it works
The Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 611 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.
No official page or bylaw we read sets a limit on cats. The District's Cats page says pet licences are only required for dogs.
Good to know
- 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.
- The Zoning Bylaw 580 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.
- 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.
- Questions about exceptions: Bylaw Enforcement, 604-885-1986 ext. 2.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Gibsons · Bowen Island · Lantzville · Nanaimo · Lions Bay · West Vancouver
Sources
- Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 611, 2023 (PDF, scanned) (read 2026-11-06)
- Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026) (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
- Zoning Bylaw No. 580, 2022 (consolidated May 2025) (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
- Dog Licences, District of Sechelt (read 2026-11-06)
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. How answers are checked.