{"title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Surrey","question":"How many dogs or cats can I keep?","slug":"how-many-pets","place":{"path":"ca/bc/surrey","name":"Surrey","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":"City of Surrey","url":"https://www.surrey.ca"},"short_answer":"The City of Surrey's Animal Responsibility Bylaw allows no more than 3 dogs over 8 weeks old and 5 cats over 12 weeks old on a property, and no more than 6 companion animals in total. More than three dogs needs a hobby or commercial kennel licence, according to the City.","aliases":["pet limit surrey","how many dogs surrey","how many cats can i have","kennel licence surrey"],"cost":null,"how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Services call centre","value":"604-591-4370"},{"type":"phone","label":"Dog Licensing","value":"604-592-2601"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw 19105 (PDF)","url":"https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/19105"},{"title":"Dog Licensing page","url":"https://www.surrey.ca/services-payments/animals/dog-licensing"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Surrey dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"backyard-chickens","title":"Surrey backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/backyard-chickens/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/langley","name":"Langley City","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/white-rock","name":"White Rock","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/white-rock/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/new-westminster","name":"New Westminster","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-westminster/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/port-coquitlam","name":"Port Coquitlam","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-coquitlam/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/langley-township","name":"Township of Langley","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley-township/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/coquitlam","name":"Coquitlam","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coquitlam/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":"No more than 3 dogs over 8 weeks old on any real property. The City's dog licensing page says no more than three dogs can be licensed to a property unless there is a hobby or commercial kennel licence.","short":"Max 3 dogs","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/19105","title":"Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105 (consolidated to Bylaw 21964, 2026)","section":"s. 3","quotes":["No person shall keep or allow to be kept on any real property more than six (6) Companion","not more than three (3) Dogs over the age of eight (8) weeks"]},{"url":"https://www.surrey.ca/services-payments/animals/dog-licensing","title":"Dog Licensing, City of Surrey","section":"Dog licensing requirements","quotes":["No more than three dogs can be licensed to a property at one time, unless there is a hobby or commercial kennel licence in place."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"cat_limit":{"label":"Cats allowed","value":"No more than 5 cats over 12 weeks old on any real property.","short":"Max 5 cats","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/19105","title":"Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105 (consolidated to Bylaw 21964, 2026)","section":"s. 3","quotes":["not more than five (5) cats over the age of twelve (12) weeks"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"other_limits":{"label":"Other animal limits","value":"No more than 6 companion animals in total (at most 3 dogs and 5 cats). Livestock and poultry are limited by the Zoning Bylaw (see Backyard chickens). Prohibited animals are listed in Schedule A of the Animal Responsibility Bylaw.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/19105","title":"Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105 (consolidated to Bylaw 21964, 2026)","section":"s. 3, 4; Schedule A","quotes":["No person shall keep or allow to be kept on any real property more than six (6) Companion","any prohibited Animal outlined in Schedule"]},{"url":"https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/12000","title":"Surrey Zoning By-law, 1993, No. 12000","section":"Part 4, s. B.12(a)","quotes":["The keeping of livestock, poultry, rabbits and chinchillas in the RA, R1, R2, and R3"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"exceptions":{"label":"Exceptions","value":"A hobby or commercial kennel licence allows more than three dogs (City licensing page). The Zoning By-law defines a hobby kennel as no more than 6 dogs over 6 months old kept for breeding or showing, with the operator living on the lot; a commercial kennel boards or trains others' dogs. Livestock and poultry limits depend on zone and lot size.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.surrey.ca/services-payments/animals/dog-licensing","title":"Dog Licensing, City of Surrey","section":"Dog licensing requirements","quotes":["unless there is a hobby or commercial kennel licence in place"]},{"url":"https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/12000","title":"Surrey Zoning By-law, 1993, No. 12000","section":"Part 1 Definitions, Kennel - Commercial; Kennel - Hobby","quotes":["means a kennel specifically set up for boarding, training and keeping of dogs not owned by the kennel","means a kennel where no more than 6 dogs over the age of 6 months, are kept on the premises for","The operator of the hobby kennel must reside on the lot on which the hobby"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Bylaw notice $200 ($150 if paid within 14 days; $250 if late). Municipal ticket $200.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/18691","title":"Surrey Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw, 2016, No. 18691, Schedule A","section":"Part 3, s. 3","quotes":["19105 3 Keeping of excessive $200.00 $150.00 $250.00"]},{"url":"https://www.surrey.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/BYL_reg_12508.pdf","title":"Surrey Municipal Ticket Information Utilization By-law, 1994, No. 12508 (PDF)","section":"Schedule 4","quotes":["1. Keeping of excessive companion animals 3 $200.00"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/19105","title":"Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105 (consolidated to Bylaw 21964, 2026)","section":"s. 1; s. 3","quotes":["This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as the \"Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017,"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nUnder the [Animal Responsibility Bylaw 19105](https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/19105), no one may keep more than 3 dogs over 8 weeks old, or more than 5 cats over 12 weeks old, on any real property in Surrey. The total of companion animals cannot exceed 6, so the dog and cat limits share that total. The City's Dog Licensing page says no more than three dogs can be licensed to a property unless there is a hobby or commercial kennel licence.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- The [Zoning By-law](https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/12000) defines a hobby kennel as no more than 6 dogs over 6 months old kept for breeding or showing, with the operator living on the lot. A commercial kennel boards or trains other people's dogs. The kennel licensing process and fee are not on the City's animal pages; ask Bylaw & Licensing Services.\n- Prohibited animals are listed in Schedule A of the bylaw.\n- Livestock and poultry limits depend on zone and lot size; see the backyard chickens answer.\n- Exceeding the limit: bylaw notice $200 ($150 if paid within 14 days; $250 if late). A municipal ticket is $200.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/19105","title":"Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105 (consolidated to Bylaw 21964, 2026)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.surrey.ca/services-payments/animals/dog-licensing","title":"Dog Licensing, City of Surrey","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/12000","title":"Surrey Zoning By-law, 1993, No. 12000","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/18691","title":"Surrey Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw, 2016, No. 18691, Schedule A","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.surrey.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/BYL_reg_12508.pdf","title":"Surrey Municipal Ticket Information Utilization By-law, 1994, No. 12508 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-05","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/how-many-pets/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/how-many-pets.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/how-many-pets.json"}}