How many dogs or cats you can keep in Surrey
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.
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.Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105 (consolidated to Bylaw 21964, 2026), s. 3; Dog Licensing, Dog licensing requirements · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingNo 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 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. |
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| Cats allowed | No more than 5 cats over 12 weeks old on any real property.Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105 (consolidated to Bylaw 21964, 2026), s. 3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingnot more than five (5) cats over the age of twelve (12) weeks |
| 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.Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105 (consolidated to Bylaw 21964, 2026), s. 3, 4; Schedule A; Surrey Zoning By-law, 1993, No. 12000, Part 4, s. B.12(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingNo person shall keep or allow to be kept on any real property more than six (6) Companion any prohibited Animal outlined in Schedule The keeping of livestock, poultry, rabbits and chinchillas in the RA, R1, R2, and R3 |
| 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.Dog Licensing, Dog licensing requirements; Surrey Zoning By-law, 1993, No. 12000, Part 1 Definitions, Kennel - Commercial; Kennel - Hobby · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingunless there is a hobby or commercial kennel licence in place 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 |
| Fine | Bylaw notice $200 ($150 if paid within 14 days; $250 if late). Municipal ticket $200.Surrey Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw, 2016, No. 18691, Schedule A, Part 3, s. 3; Surrey Municipal Ticket Information Utilization By-law, 1994, No. 12508, Schedule 4 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wording19105 3 Keeping of excessive $200.00 $150.00 $250.00 1. Keeping of excessive companion animals 3 $200.00 |
| Bylaw | Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105 (consolidated to Bylaw 21964, 2026), s. 1; s. 3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingThis Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as the "Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, |
How it works
Under the Animal Responsibility Bylaw 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 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
The same question in other places
Langley City · White Rock · New Westminster · Port Coquitlam · Township of Langley · Coquitlam
Sources
- Surrey Animal Responsibility Bylaw, 2017, No. 19105 (consolidated to Bylaw 21964, 2026) (read 2026-11-05)
- Dog Licensing, City of Surrey (read 2026-11-05)
- Surrey Zoning By-law, 1993, No. 12000 (read 2026-11-05)
- Surrey Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw, 2016, No. 18691, Schedule A (read 2026-11-05)
- Surrey Municipal Ticket Information Utilization By-law, 1994, No. 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. How answers are checked.