---
title: How many dogs or cats you can keep in Sooke
question: "How many dogs or cats can I keep in Sooke?"
place: Sooke, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/sooke
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of Sooke
sources_read: 2026-11-06
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/how-many-pets/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/how-many-pets.json"
---

# How many dogs or cats you can keep in Sooke

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

**Short answer:** In Sooke, you can keep no more than four dogs (over four months old) on a parcel at one time, unless you run a licensed kennel or similar business. The bylaw sets no limit on cats.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Sooke, https://sooke.ca)  
**Cost:** Fine for excess dogs: $50 (municipal ticket).  
**How long:** Not applicable  
**Where:**
- Phone: District of Sooke Bylaw Services, 250-642-1634 (Municipal Hall, 2205 Otter Point Road, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- Phone: CRD Animal Care Services, 250-478-0624

## Key facts

- **Dogs allowed:** No more than four dogs on any parcel at one time (a dog is one apparently over four months old), except in the lawful operation of a licensed boarding or breeding kennel, a veterinary facility, an animal supply store or a commercial animal groomer.
  - Source: [Animal Regulation and Impounding Bylaw No. 392, s. 3](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4h1nsegt/animal-regulation-and-impounding-bylaw-no-392-consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "No person shall keep more than four dogs on any parcel of land in the District at any one time except in the lawful operation of a boarding kennel" … "or breeding kennel under this Bylaw, a veterinary facility, an animal supply store or commercial animal groomer service."
  - Source: [Animal Regulation and Impounding Bylaw No. 392, s. 2(j)](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4h1nsegt/animal-regulation-and-impounding-bylaw-no-392-consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "“Dog” means a dog apparently over the age of four months;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Cats allowed:** None set. Sooke's Animal Regulation and Impounding Bylaw sets no limit on cats.
- **Other animal limits:** In small-scale multi-unit residential, multi-family and comprehensive development zones: no livestock or male poultry on lots under 2,000 m²; female poultry (hens) not allowed under 600 m², and up to 6 in enclosed runs on lots over 600 m² but under 2,000 m².
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 600, s. 3.5](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf)
  - Official wording: "a) The keeping of livestock and male poultry is prohibited on lots less than" … "b) The keeping of female poultry is prohibited on lots less than 600 m 2 in area;" … "c) The keeping of up to 6 female poultry in enclosed runs is permitted on lots"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Exceptions:** A licensed breeding or boarding kennel may keep the number of dogs its licence allows (breeding kennel dogs must be registered with a bona fide kennel club or associated with other bona fide dog clubs). Vets, pet stores and commercial groomers are exempt. Puppies under four months are not 'dogs', so are not counted.
  - Source: [Animal Regulation and Impounding Bylaw No. 392, ss. 3, 4, 7, 8, 9](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4h1nsegt/animal-regulation-and-impounding-bylaw-no-392-consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "No person shall operate a boarding kennel or a breeding kennel in the District unless a valid and subsisting licence for the current year" … "Breeding kennel licences shall only be issued to persons who are" … "engaged in the breeding of a dog or dogs and whose dog or dogs are" … "registered with a bona fide kennel club or associated with other bona fide" … "dog clubs." … "No person shall keep more than four dogs on any parcel of land in the District at any one time except in the lawful operation of a boarding kennel" … "“Dog” means a dog apparently over the age of four months;"
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 752, Schedule 2](https://www.sooke.ca/media/fm0fpxls/fees-charges-bylaw-no-752-consolidated-october2026.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Breeding kennel having four or less dogs $75.00" … "Boarding kennel $200.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** $50 (municipal ticket, 'Excess dogs on property', s. 3). Dogs beyond a kennel licence's number: $50; no kennel licence: $75.
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 836, Schedule B1](https://www.sooke.ca/media/qnrli50n/836-municipal-ticket-information-bylaw-consolidated-july-16-2026.pdf)
  - Official wording: "3 Excess dogs on property $50.00" … "4 No kennel licence $75.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Bylaw No. 392, Animal Regulation and Impounding Bylaw, 2009
  - Source: [Animal Regulation and Impounding Bylaw No. 392, title](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4h1nsegt/animal-regulation-and-impounding-bylaw-no-392-consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Bylaw No. 392, Animal Regulation and Impounding Bylaw, 2009"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The [Animal Regulation and Impounding Bylaw No. 392](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4h1nsegt/animal-regulation-and-impounding-bylaw-no-392-consolidated.pdf) allows no more than four dogs on any parcel at one time. A dog is one apparently over four months old, so younger puppies are not counted. Bylaw 392 sets no limit on cats.

The exceptions are the lawful operation of a licensed boarding or breeding kennel, a veterinary facility, an animal supply store or a commercial animal groomer. A kennel may keep the number of dogs its licence allows.

## Good to know

- The ticket for excess dogs on a property is $50. Dogs beyond a kennel licence's number are $50; running a kennel without a licence is $75.
- In small-scale multi-unit residential, multi-family and comprehensive development zones, the [Zoning Bylaw](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf) bans livestock and male poultry on lots under 2,000 m², and allows up to 6 hens only on lots over 600 m² and under 2,000 m². See the chickens answer.
- No combined limit across all pets was found. Ask Bylaw Services at 250-642-1634 or bylaw@sooke.ca.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Regulation and Impounding Bylaw No. 392 (PDF)](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4h1nsegt/animal-regulation-and-impounding-bylaw-no-392-consolidated.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Sooke dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/dog-licence.md)
- [Sooke dog leash rules and off-leash areas](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Sooke backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Sooke bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/bylaw-fines.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog and cat limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/how-many-pets.md)
- [Metchosin](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/how-many-pets.md)
- [Langford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/how-many-pets.md)
- [Colwood](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/how-many-pets.md)
- [Highlands](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/how-many-pets.md)
- [View Royal](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/how-many-pets.md)
- [Esquimalt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/how-many-pets.md)

## Sources

- [Information Bulletins | District of Sooke](https://www.sooke.ca/programs-services/building-and-renovating/information-bulletins/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Animal Regulation and Impounding Bylaw No. 392 (PDF), District of Sooke](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4h1nsegt/animal-regulation-and-impounding-bylaw-no-392-consolidated.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 752 (PDF), District of Sooke](https://www.sooke.ca/media/fm0fpxls/fees-charges-bylaw-no-752-consolidated-october2026.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 836 (PDF), District of Sooke](https://www.sooke.ca/media/qnrli50n/836-municipal-ticket-information-bylaw-consolidated-july-16-2026.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 600 (PDF), District of Sooke](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)

_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 District of Sooke. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/how-many-pets/_