{"title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Victoria","question":"How many dogs or cats can I keep?","slug":"how-many-pets","place":{"path":"ca/bc/victoria","name":"Victoria","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 Victoria","url":"https://www.victoria.ca"},"short_answer":"In the City of Victoria you may keep no more than six dogs and cats in total on one lot; dogs and cats count together. Dogs and cats under 12 weeks old are not counted. Rabbits, guinea pigs and poultry have their own limits.","aliases":["pet limit victoria","maximum dogs victoria","how many cats can I have victoria"],"cost":"Fine for keeping too many dogs: bylaw notice $100, municipal ticket $100.","how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Victoria Animal Control Services","value":"250-414-0233"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw 11-044 (PDF)","url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/554"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Victoria dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"backyard-chickens","title":"Victoria backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/backyard-chickens/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/oak-bay","name":"Oak Bay","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oak-bay/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/esquimalt","name":"Esquimalt","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/view-royal","name":"View Royal","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/saanich","name":"Saanich","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/saanich/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/colwood","name":"Colwood","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/how-many-pets/"},{"place":"ca/bc/langford","name":"Langford","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/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 six dogs and cats in total on a lot (dogs and cats count together). Each self-contained dwelling unit on a lot counts as a separate lot if no animals are kept on shared or common property or outside buildings.","short":"No separate limit; six dogs and cats total","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/554","title":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw 11-044 (consolidated to July 2022) (PDF)","section":"s. 25(1), (5)","quotes":["No person may have on a lot more than six dogs or cats, or any combination of dogs or cats greater than six,","each self-contained dwelling unit on a lot shall be considered a separate lot"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"cat_limit":{"label":"Cats allowed","value":"Same combined limit: six dogs and cats in total per lot. The bylaw sets no separate cat limit.","short":"No separate limit; six dogs and cats total","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/554","title":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw 11-044 (consolidated to July 2022) (PDF)","section":"s. 25(1)","quotes":["No person may have on a lot more than six dogs or cats, or any combination of dogs or cats greater than six,"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"other_limits":{"label":"Other animal limits","value":"Rabbits and guinea pigs: no more than four in total per lot. Poultry: no more than fifteen female chickens or other poultry per lot. Farm animals, roosters and peafowl may not be kept (with limited exceptions).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/554","title":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw 11-044 (consolidated to July 2022) (PDF)","section":"s. 25(2), (3); s. 27(1)","quotes":["No person may keep, or allow to be kept, at any one time, on a lot more than four rabbits or guinea pigs","more than fifteen female chickens or other poultry","A person must not keep a"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"exceptions":{"label":"Exceptions","value":"Dogs and cats younger than 12 weeks are not counted. The dog/cat and rabbit/guinea pig limits do not apply to animals at a vet during business hours, at a groomer or animal daycare where zoning allows it, or at an animal shelter or veterinary hospital. Council may exempt a person or property by resolution in cases of undue hardship.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/554","title":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw 11-044 (consolidated to July 2022) (PDF)","section":"s. 25(1), (4); s. 3A","quotes":["except for dogs and cats that are younger than the age of 12 weeks.","Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to animals kept:","Council may, by resolution, exempt a person or property from the application of that provision."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Bylaw notice (Bylaw 16-017): $100 for keeping an excess number of dogs (s. 25); $75 if paid within 14 days, $125 if unpaid 15 days after receipt. Municipal ticket (Bylaw 10-071): $100, or $75 if paid within 30 days. No ticket is listed for too many cats, rabbits or poultry.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/635","title":"Ticket Bylaw 10-071 (consolidated June 18, 2026), Schedule C (PDF)","section":"Schedule C","quotes":["Keep excess number 25 $100.00 $75.00"]},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/2923","title":"Bylaw Notice Adjudication Bylaw 16-017, Schedule B (PDF)","section":"Schedule B","quotes":["25 Keep excess number of dogs $100.00 $25.00 $25.00"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 11-044","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/554","title":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw 11-044 (consolidated to July 2022) (PDF)","section":"Title","quotes":["ANIMAL RESPONSIBILITY BYLAW BYLAW NO. 11-044 This consolidation is a copy of a bylaw consolidated under the authority of"]}],"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\nThe [Animal Responsibility Bylaw 11-044](<https://www.victoria.ca/media/554>) allows no more than six dogs and cats in total on a lot. Dogs and cats count together, and the bylaw sets no separate cat limit. Each self-contained dwelling unit on a lot counts as a separate lot if no animals are kept on shared or common property or outside buildings.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Rabbits and guinea pigs: no more than four in total per lot.\n- Poultry: no more than fifteen female chickens or other poultry per lot. Farm animals, roosters and peafowl may not be kept, with limited exceptions.\n- Dogs and cats younger than 12 weeks are not counted.\n- The dog and cat limit and the rabbit and guinea pig limit do not apply to animals at a vet during business hours, at a groomer or animal daycare where zoning allows it, or at an animal shelter or veterinary hospital.\n- Council may exempt a person or property by resolution in cases of undue hardship.\n- Keeping too many dogs: a bylaw notice (Bylaw 16-017) is $100 ($75 if paid within 14 days; $125 if unpaid 15 days after receipt). A municipal ticket (Bylaw 10-071) is $100 ($75 if paid within 30 days). No ticket is listed for too many cats, rabbits or poultry.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/554","title":"Animal Responsibility Bylaw 11-044 (consolidated to July 2022) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/635","title":"Ticket Bylaw 10-071 (consolidated June 18, 2026), Schedule C (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/2923","title":"Bylaw Notice Adjudication Bylaw 16-017, Schedule B (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/victoria/how-many-pets/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/how-many-pets.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/how-many-pets.json"}}