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

# How many dogs or cats you can keep in Silverton

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

**Short answer:** In Silverton you may keep up to three dogs on a parcel unless you have a business licence for a kennel. The bylaws set no limit on cats. Poultry are limited to 12 on a parcel, and farm animals, fur-bearing animals and rabbits are not allowed.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Silverton, https://silverton.ca)  
**Cost:** Kennel licence $25 a year. Poultry licence $10 a year.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Village Office, 250-358-2472

## Key facts

- **Dogs allowed:** Fewer than four dogs on any one parcel (up to three), unless the owner has a business licence for a kennel.
  - Source: [Dog Licensing and Control Bylaw No. 445, 2007, Prohibitions s. 3](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22184/)
  - Official wording: "No person shall keep four (4) or more dogs on any one parcel, unless that person has" … "obtained a business license for the operation of a kennel"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Cats allowed:** None set. Silverton's bylaws set no limit on cats.
- **Other animal limits:** Poultry: no more than 12 on any parcel. Farm animals, fur-bearing animals and rabbits may not be kept in the Village at all.
  - Source: [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009, ss. 3.4, 4.1](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/)
  - Official wording: "No person shall keep more than twelve (12) Poultry on any Parcel." … "No person shall keep Farm Animals, Fur Bearing Animals or rabbits within the Village."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Exceptions:** Four or more dogs are allowed on a parcel with a business licence for a kennel (kennel licence $25 a year). The bylaw counts only dogs apparently over four months old, so younger puppies are not counted.
  - Source: [Dog Licensing and Control Bylaw No. 445, 2007, Prohibitions s. 3; Schedule A](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22184/)
  - Official wording: "obtained a business license for the operation of a kennel" … "Kennel License $25.00" … "Dog means an animal of the canine species, apparently over the age of four months." … "unless that person has obtained a business license for the operation of a kennel"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** No ticket amount is listed for keeping too many dogs. Poultry, farm-animal or rabbit offences are prosecuted under the Offence Act: minimum fine $100 first offence, $200 repeat; maximum $10,000.
  - Source: [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009, s. 5.2](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/)
  - Official wording: "the maximum fine for all offences under this Bylaw is Ten Thousand ($10,000.00)" … "One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) for a first contravention, and" … "Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) for a second or subsequent contravention."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Dog Licensing and Control Bylaw No. 445, 2007; Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009
  - Source: [Dog Licensing and Control Bylaw No. 445, 2007, Heading](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22184/)
  - Official wording: "DOG LICENSING AND CONTROL" … "BYLAW NO. 445"
  - Source: [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009, Title](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/)
  - Official wording: "ANIMAL AND POULTRY REGULATION BYLAW NO. 460 - 2009"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The [Dog Licensing and Control Bylaw No. 445](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22184/) allows fewer than four dogs on any one parcel, unless the owner has a business licence for a kennel (a kennel licence is $25 a year). Only dogs apparently over four months old are counted, so younger puppies are not.

The bylaws set no limit on cats. The [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/) says its definition of "Animal" does not include dogs or cats.

## Good to know

- Poultry: no more than 12 on any parcel.
- Farm animals, fur-bearing animals and rabbits may not be kept in the Village at all.
- No ticket amount is listed for keeping too many dogs. Poultry, farm-animal or rabbit offences are prosecuted under the Offence Act, with a minimum fine of $100 for a first offence and $200 for a repeat, and a maximum of $10,000.

## Official forms and pages

- [Dog Licensing and Control Bylaw No. 445, 2007 (PDF)](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22184/)
- [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009 (PDF)](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/)

## Related questions

- [Silverton dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/dog-licence.md)
- [Silverton backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Silverton dog leash rules and off-leash areas](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/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)
- [New Denver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-denver/how-many-pets.md)
- [Nakusp](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nakusp/how-many-pets.md)
- [Nelson](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nelson/how-many-pets.md)
- [Salmo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/how-many-pets.md)
- [Fruitvale](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/how-many-pets.md)
- [Trail](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/how-many-pets.md)

## Sources

- [Dog Licensing and Control Bylaw No. 445, 2007 (PDF), Village of Silverton](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22184/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009 (PDF), Village of Silverton](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/) (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 Village of Silverton. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/how-many-pets/_