“Port Coquitlam limits residents to four rats maximum”
ACTIVE! Residents may keep a maximum of four domesticated rats. Additionally, snakes over 3 meters (approximately 10 feet) in length are prohibited.
Pet rats have become increasingly popular, but municipalities must balance pet ownership rights with public health concerns. Port Coquitlam addressed this by setting a specific numerical limit rather than banning pet rats outright. Fancy rats (domesticated Norway rats) are social animals that tend to do better in pairs or small groups. The snake restriction (no snakes over 3 meters, approximately 10 feet) addresses concerns associated with large constrictors such as Burmese pythons or reticulated pythons, which can pose risks to children and pets. Interestingly, Alberta has taken the opposite approach—as a rat-free province, pet rats are illegal there under the Agricultural Pests Act.
Where the story gets it wrong
It might seem this bylaw exists as an anti-rat public health measure, but it applies specifically to pet rats kept as domestic animals, not wild rat infestations. The limit is part of broader animal control regulations meant to prevent nuisance conditions in residential neighborhoods, rather than reflecting any special concern about rats as pets.
The City of Port Coquitlam Animal Control Bylaw No. 3990 limits the number of pet rats a resident may keep to a maximum of four. Similar numerical limits apply to other pet species including snakes.
- Current status
- Actively Enforced
- Enacted
- July 11, 2017
- Penalty
- Violations of the Animal Control Bylaw are subject to municipal fines as set out in the City's bylaw notice enforcement system.