{"title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Sidney","question":"How many dogs or cats can I keep?","slug":"how-many-pets","place":{"path":"ca/bc/sidney","name":"Sidney","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":"Town of Sidney","url":"https://www.sidney.ca"},"short_answer":"In Sidney you can keep no more than four dogs and four cats on a parcel of land. Hens (up to five, with a permit) are the only farm-type animal allowed. A bylaw notice for going over the limit is $130; a municipal ticket is $130.","aliases":["pet limit sidney bc","how many dogs allowed sidney","how many cats allowed sidney","animal limit bylaw sidney"],"cost":"Over the limit: bylaw notice $130 ($100 within 14 days, $160 after 28 days); municipal ticket $130 ($100 within 30 days).","how_long":"not applicable","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Town of Sidney Bylaw Enforcement","value":"250-544-4743"},{"type":"phone","label":"CRD Animal Control","value":"250-478-0624"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965 (PDF)","url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Sidney dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"dog-leash-rules","title":"Sidney dog leash rules and off-leash areas","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/dog-leash-rules/"},{"slug":"backyard-chickens","title":"Sidney backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/backyard-chickens/"},{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Sidney bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/bylaw-fines/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/north-saanich","name":"North Saanich","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-saanich/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/central-saanich","name":"Central Saanich","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/central-saanich/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/highlands","name":"Highlands","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/saanich","name":"Saanich","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/saanich/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/view-royal","name":"View Royal","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/langford","name":"Langford","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/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":"Four dogs per parcel. Section 4.1(c) counts dogs over four months old on any parcel; s. 4.3(c) says no more than four dogs on any property.","short":"Four dogs per parcel","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf","title":"Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010 (PDF)","section":"s. 4.1(c), 4.3(c)","quotes":["No person shall keep more than four dogs over the age of four months on any parcel of land","No person shall keep more than four (4) dogs on any property;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"cat_limit":{"label":"Cats allowed","value":"Four cats over four months of age per parcel.","short":"Four cats","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf","title":"Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010 (PDF)","section":"s. 4.4(b)","quotes":["No person shall keep shelter or harbour more than four (4) cats over the age of four (4) months on any parcel within the Town of Sidney."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"other_limits":{"label":"Other animal limits","value":"No farm animals, poultry or rabbits on any parcel (hens excepted). Hens: up to five with a permit. Bees: none on parcels under 750 m²; no more than two hives on parcels over 750 m². No combined cap on dogs and cats was found.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf","title":"Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010 (PDF)","section":"ss. 5.0(b), 5.1, 5.3(c)","quotes":["No person shall keep or harbour any farm animals, poultry, or rabbit on any parcel of land, excluding Hens.","No person shall keep or harbour Bees on any parcel of land under 750 square metres","No person shall keep or harbour Bees in excess of two (2) beehives on any parcel of land over 750 square metres.","A maximum of five (5) Hens are permitted to be kept on a property"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"exceptions":{"label":"Exceptions","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Sidney's animal bylaw gives no kennel, litter or age exception to the dog and cat limits.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf","title":"Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010 (PDF)"}]},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Bylaw notice: $130 ($100 if paid within 14 days; $160 after 28 days) for more than four dogs or more than four cats. Municipal ticket: $130 ($100 if paid within 30 days).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2239-Bylaw-Notice-Enforcement-CON.pdf","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2239 (PDF)","section":"Schedule C, Animal Licence & Control Bylaw, ss. 4.3(c), 4.4(b)","quotes":["Harbouring More Part IV, Section $130.00 $100.00 $160.00","Than Four (4) Cats 4.4 (b)"]},{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2180-MTI-consolidated.pdf","title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 2180 (PDF)","section":"Schedule 2, ss. 4.3(c), 4.4(b)","quotes":["Harbouring More Than Part IV, Section 4.3 (c) $130.00 $100.00","Harbouring More Than Part IV, Section 4.4 (b) $130.00 $100.00"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf","title":"Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010 (PDF)","section":"s. 1.0","quotes":["Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":1,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe [Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf) sets the limits. Dogs: no more than four per parcel. One section counts dogs over four months old; another says no more than four dogs on any property. Cats: no more than four over four months of age per parcel. No combined cap on dogs and cats was found.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Farm animals, poultry and rabbits are not allowed on any parcel. The only exception is hens: up to five, with a permit (see the chickens answer).\n- Bees: none on parcels under 750 m²; no more than two hives on parcels over 750 m².\n- The bylaw gives no kennel, litter or age exception to the dog and cat limits.\n- Fines for more than four dogs or four cats: a bylaw notice is $130 ($100 if paid within 14 days; $160 after 28 days); a municipal ticket is $130 ($100 if paid within 30 days).\n- Every dog also needs a Town licence.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf","title":"Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2239-Bylaw-Notice-Enforcement-CON.pdf","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2239 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2180-MTI-consolidated.pdf","title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 2180 (PDF)","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 5 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/how-many-pets/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/how-many-pets.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/how-many-pets.json"}}