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

# How many dogs or cats you can keep in Victoria

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

**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.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Victoria, https://www.victoria.ca)  
**Cost:** Fine for keeping too many dogs: bylaw notice $100, municipal ticket $100.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Victoria Animal Control Services, 250-414-0233

## Key facts

- **Dogs allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw 11-044 (consolidated to July 2022), s. 25(1), (5)](https://www.victoria.ca/media/554)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Cats allowed:** Same combined limit: six dogs and cats in total per lot. The bylaw sets no separate cat limit.
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw 11-044 (consolidated to July 2022), s. 25(1)](https://www.victoria.ca/media/554)
  - Official wording: "No person may have on a lot more than six dogs or cats, or any combination of dogs or cats greater than six,"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Other animal limits:** 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).
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw 11-044 (consolidated to July 2022), s. 25(2), (3); s. 27(1)](https://www.victoria.ca/media/554)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Exceptions:** 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.
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw 11-044 (consolidated to July 2022), s. 25(1), (4); s. 3A](https://www.victoria.ca/media/554)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** 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.
  - Source: [Ticket Bylaw 10-071 (consolidated June 18, 2026), Schedule C](https://www.victoria.ca/media/635)
  - Official wording: "Keep excess number 25 $100.00 $75.00"
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Adjudication Bylaw 16-017, Schedule B](https://www.victoria.ca/media/2923)
  - Official wording: "25 Keep excess number of dogs $100.00 $25.00 $25.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 11-044
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw 11-044 (consolidated to July 2022), Title](https://www.victoria.ca/media/554)
  - Official wording: "ANIMAL RESPONSIBILITY BYLAW BYLAW NO. 11-044 This consolidation is a copy of a bylaw consolidated under the authority of"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The [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.

## Good to know

- 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.
- Dogs and cats younger than 12 weeks are not counted.
- 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.
- Council may exempt a person or property by resolution in cases of undue hardship.
- 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.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Responsibility Bylaw 11-044 (PDF)](https://www.victoria.ca/media/554)

## Related questions

- [Victoria dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/dog-licence.md)
- [Victoria backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/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)
- [Oak Bay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oak-bay/how-many-pets.md)
- [Esquimalt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/how-many-pets.md)
- [View Royal](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/how-many-pets.md)
- [Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/saanich/how-many-pets.md)
- [Colwood](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/how-many-pets.md)
- [Langford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/how-many-pets.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Responsibility Bylaw 11-044 (consolidated to July 2022) (PDF)](https://www.victoria.ca/media/554) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Ticket Bylaw 10-071 (consolidated June 18, 2026), Schedule C (PDF)](https://www.victoria.ca/media/635) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Notice Adjudication Bylaw 16-017, Schedule B (PDF)](https://www.victoria.ca/media/2923) (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 Victoria. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/how-many-pets/_