---
title: How many dogs or cats you can keep in Surrey
question: "How many dogs or cats can I keep?"
place: Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/surrey
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Surrey
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/how-many-pets/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/how-many-pets.json"
---

# How many dogs or cats you can keep in Surrey

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

**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.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Surrey, https://www.surrey.ca)  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Services call centre, 604-591-4370
- Phone: Dog Licensing, 604-592-2601

## Key facts

- **Dogs allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105 (consolidated to Bylaw 21964, 2026), s. 3](https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/19105)
  - Official wording: "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"
  - Source: [Dog Licensing, Dog licensing requirements](https://www.surrey.ca/services-payments/animals/dog-licensing)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Cats allowed:** No more than 5 cats over 12 weeks old on any real property.
  - Source: [Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105 (consolidated to Bylaw 21964, 2026), s. 3](https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/19105)
  - Official wording: "not more than five (5) cats over the age of twelve (12) weeks"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Other animal limits:** 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.
  - Source: [Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105 (consolidated to Bylaw 21964, 2026), s. 3, 4; Schedule A](https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/19105)
  - Official wording: "No person shall keep or allow to be kept on any real property more than six (6) Companion" … "any prohibited Animal outlined in Schedule"
  - Source: [Surrey Zoning By-law, 1993, No. 12000, Part 4, s. B.12(a)](https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/12000)
  - Official wording: "The keeping of livestock, poultry, rabbits and chinchillas in the RA, R1, R2, and R3"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Exceptions:** 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.
  - Source: [Dog Licensing, Dog licensing requirements](https://www.surrey.ca/services-payments/animals/dog-licensing)
  - Official wording: "unless there is a hobby or commercial kennel licence in place"
  - Source: [Surrey Zoning By-law, 1993, No. 12000, Part 1 Definitions, Kennel - Commercial; Kennel - Hobby](https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/12000)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** Bylaw notice $200 ($150 if paid within 14 days; $250 if late). Municipal ticket $200.
  - Source: [Surrey Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw, 2016, No. 18691, Schedule A, Part 3, s. 3](https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/18691)
  - Official wording: "19105 3 Keeping of excessive $200.00 $150.00 $250.00"
  - Source: [Surrey Municipal Ticket Information Utilization By-law, 1994, No. 12508, Schedule 4](https://www.surrey.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/BYL_reg_12508.pdf)
  - Official wording: "1. Keeping of excessive companion animals 3 $200.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105
  - Source: [Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105 (consolidated to Bylaw 21964, 2026), s. 1; s. 3](https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/19105)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as the "Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017,"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Under 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.

## Good to know

- 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.
- Prohibited animals are listed in Schedule A of the bylaw.
- Livestock and poultry limits depend on zone and lot size; see the backyard chickens answer.
- Exceeding the limit: bylaw notice $200 ($150 if paid within 14 days; $250 if late). A municipal ticket is $200.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Responsibility Bylaw 19105 (PDF)](https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/19105)
- [Dog Licensing page](https://www.surrey.ca/services-payments/animals/dog-licensing)

## Related questions

- [Surrey dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/dog-licence.md)
- [Surrey backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/backyard-chickens.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog and cat limits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/how-many-pets.md)
- [Langley City](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley/how-many-pets.md)
- [White Rock](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/white-rock/how-many-pets.md)
- [New Westminster](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-westminster/how-many-pets.md)
- [Port Coquitlam](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-coquitlam/how-many-pets.md)
- [Township of Langley](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley-township/how-many-pets.md)
- [Coquitlam](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coquitlam/how-many-pets.md)

## Sources

- [Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105 (consolidated to Bylaw 21964, 2026)](https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/19105) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Dog Licensing, City of Surrey](https://www.surrey.ca/services-payments/animals/dog-licensing) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Surrey Zoning By-law, 1993, No. 12000](https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/12000) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Surrey Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw, 2016, No. 18691, Schedule A](https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/18691) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Surrey Municipal Ticket Information Utilization By-law, 1994, No. 12508 (PDF)](https://www.surrey.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/BYL_reg_12508.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Surrey. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/how-many-pets/_