{
 "answer": "In the City of Merritt, British Columbia, hens permitted: True; roosters prohibited: True; bees permitted: True; livestock rule: Urban Agriculture use includes Backyard Hens and Beekeeping, but excludes fur bearing animals or other livestock and fungi.. Source: Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020, verified 2026-08-28.",
 "municipality_id": "gx-000078",
 "municipality": "Merritt",
 "status_type": "City",
 "jurisdiction": "British Columbia",
 "country": "CA",
 "topic": "backyard_animals",
 "label": "Backyard hens & livestock",
 "status": "found",
 "last_verified": "2026-08-28",
 "official_website": "https://merritt.ca/",
 "documents": [
  {
   "primary": true,
   "is_official": true,
   "title": "Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020",
   "category": "backyard_animals",
   "document_type": "bylaw",
   "status": "adopted",
   "adopted_date": null,
   "document_url": "http://www.merritt.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2284_Zoning-Bylaw_2026.pdf",
   "summary": "Backyard hens permitted in R1, R3, P2, P3 zones, one enclosure per property, rear yard, 1.2m setback, not visible from street. Beekeeping allowed in R1/R3 with neighbour consent, up to 6 hives depending on lot size, 2.0m setbacks.",
   "discovered_by": "bc-newcats",
   "discovered_at": "2026-08-28",
   "capture_sha256": "79f0fd6162b9cc3065d87570f99f1562f05fba47079de30a64973738ec9eade5",
   "captured_at": "2026-08-29T03:03:43+00:00",
   "capture_http_status": 200,
   "snapshot_url": "https://pub-e61c5ee2a8704225bfa8de0c280e8a2c.r2.dev/bylaws/79f0fd6162b9cc3065d87570f99f1562f05fba47079de30a64973738ec9eade5.pdf",
   "link_dead": false,
   "facts": {
    "hens_permitted": true,
    "roosters_prohibited": true,
    "bees_permitted": true,
    "livestock_rule": "Urban Agriculture use includes Backyard Hens and Beekeeping, but excludes fur bearing animals or other livestock and fungi.",
    "setback": "Hens: minimum of 1.2 metres from any Parcel Line; Bees: Interior Side, Exterior Side and Rear Setbacks of 2.0 metres"
   },
   "fact_citations": {
    "hens_permitted": "s. 4.39.1",
    "roosters_prohibited": "2.2.1",
    "bees_permitted": "s. 4.40.2",
    "livestock_rule": "2.2.1",
    "setback": "s. 4.39.3; s. 4.40.5"
   },
   "transcript_url": "/ca/bc/merritt/backyard-hens/text-79f0fd6162b9/",
   "transcript_quality": "exact"
  }
 ],
 "source": "https://govanswers.org/ca/bc/merritt/backyard-hens/"
}