{"title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Terrace","question":"How many dogs or cats can I keep?","slug":"how-many-pets","place":{"path":"ca/bc/terrace","name":"Terrace","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 Terrace","url":"https://www.terrace.ca"},"short_answer":"Terrace allows no more than three dogs (lap dogs count) and no more than four cats in a dwelling unit or on a parcel. More than three dogs needs a hobby kennel licence ($100), which covers up to five dogs for non-commercial use.","aliases":["pet limit terrace","hobby kennel licence","how many dogs allowed"],"cost":"Hobby kennel licence $100. Ticket for exceeding the limit $100.","how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"in_person","label":"Animal Shelter, 5003 Graham Avenue","value":"5003 Graham Avenue, Terrace, BC","note":"Monday to Saturday, 12:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m."},{"type":"phone","label":"Animal Control","value":"250-615-4031"},{"type":"email","label":"Animal Control","value":"shelter@terrace.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal Control Consolidated Bylaw 2159 (PDF)","url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/3998"},{"title":"Animal Control page","url":"https://www.terrace.ca/city-services/animal-control"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Terrace dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"backyard-chickens","title":"Terrace backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/backyard-chickens/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/kitimat","name":"Kitimat","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kitimat/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/new-hazelton","name":"New Hazelton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/telkwa","name":"Telkwa","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/port-edward","name":"Port Edward","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-edward/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/prince-rupert","name":"Prince Rupert","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-rupert/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/houston","name":"Houston","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/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 three dogs (lap dogs count) in a dwelling unit or on any parcel in the City. More than three only under a hobby dog kennel licence (up to five dogs, non-commercial).","short":"Max three dogs (up to five with hobby kennel licence)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/3998","title":"Animal Control Consolidated Bylaw 2159 (to Bylaw 2284-2023) (PDF)","section":"s. 5.2, 20.3, definition of Hobby Dog Kennel","quotes":["No more than three (3) dogs or lap dogs, and no more than four (4) cats","No person shall own, possess, keep or harbour more than three (3)","the keeping on a parcel of land, a maximum of five (5) dogs, for non-commercial purposes"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"cat_limit":{"label":"Cats allowed","value":"No more than four cats in a dwelling unit or on any parcel.","short":"Max four cats","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/3998","title":"Animal Control Consolidated Bylaw 2159 (to Bylaw 2284-2023) (PDF)","section":"s. 5.2","quotes":["no more than four (4) cats"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"other_limits":{"label":"Other animal limits","value":"Only dogs, cats, small animals (e.g. hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, turtles), livestock, poultry, domestic pet birds and licensed fur-farm animals are permitted in the City. Livestock and poultry are limited by zoning; up to four backyard hens are allowed in some residential zones.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/3998","title":"Animal Control Consolidated Bylaw 2159 (to Bylaw 2284-2023) (PDF)","section":"s. 5.1, 5.5, 17.1","quotes":["only the following animals are permitted in the City of Terrace.","No poultry shall be kept in any portion of the City that is zoned","subject to the regulations of the City of Terrace, Zoning Bylaw No."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"exceptions":{"label":"Exceptions","value":"A hobby dog kennel licence ($100) allows up to five dogs for non-commercial purposes; commercial kennels are allowed on AR1, AR2 and M1 parcels over 4100 m² with a business licence. An unweaned animal and its mother count as one animal.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/3998","title":"Animal Control Consolidated Bylaw 2159 (to Bylaw 2284-2023) (PDF)","section":"s. 13.1, 20.1, 21.1, Schedule A","quotes":["All unweaned offspring of an animal together with the female parent","No person shall operate a hobby dog kennel, without being the holder","Commercial Kennels are permitted on parcels zoned AR1, AR2 and M1","Hobby Kennel"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Keeping more than 3 dogs or 4 cats: $100. Operating a hobby dog kennel without a licence: $100.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/4139","title":"Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw 1827 (consolidated to 2334-2025) (PDF)","section":"Schedule 3","quotes":["Keeping of more than 3 dogs or 4 cats","Failure to obtain Hobby Dog Kennel license"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 2159-2019 (consolidated to Bylaw No. 2284-2023)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/3998","title":"Animal Control Consolidated Bylaw 2159 (to Bylaw 2284-2023) (PDF)","section":"title","quotes":["AND AMENDMENTS THERETO UP TO & INCLUDING BYLAW #2284-2023 BYLAW NO. 2159-2019/2284-2023 \"A BYLAW TO PROVIDE FOR REGULATING, LICENCING, AND CONTROL OF ANIMALS WITHIN THE CITY OF TERRACE.\""]}],"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\n[Animal Control Bylaw 2159](<https://www.terrace.ca/media/3998>), section 5.2, allows no more than three dogs or lap dogs and no more than four cats in a dwelling unit or on any parcel in the city. The bylaw's definition of a cat leaves out cats under four months old. Unweaned young count as one animal together with their mother.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- A hobby dog kennel licence ($100) lets you keep more than three dogs, up to five, for non-commercial purposes. Hobby kennel operators may not take in other people's dogs and must meet siting rules in the bylaw.\n- Commercial kennels are allowed on parcels zoned AR1, AR2 and M1 over 4100 m², with a business licence.\n- The bylaw permits only these animals in the city: dogs, cats, small animals (for example hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, turtles), livestock, poultry, domestic pet birds and licensed fur-farm animals. Livestock and poultry are limited by zoning; see the backyard chickens answer for hens.\n- Keeping more than 3 dogs or 4 cats is a $100 municipal ticket. Operating a hobby kennel without a licence is also $100.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/city-services/animal-control","title":"Animal Control, City of Terrace","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/3998","title":"Animal Control Consolidated Bylaw 2159 (to Bylaw 2284-2023) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/4139","title":"Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw 1827 (consolidated to 2334-2025) (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/terrace/how-many-pets/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/how-many-pets.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/how-many-pets.json"}}