Snow emergencies
What happens at Dogtown in a snow emergency?
Cape Ann gets its snow sideways off the Atlantic, and Route 128 over the Annisquam is the main way on and off. A snow emergency in Gloucester therefore raises two questions: what Dogtown is doing, and what you should do. This page answers the first with where to look and the second with a plan for the night before.
The short version
Check the app and the desk before you drive; the dogs inside are already looked after
In a snow emergency the first place to look is the Dogtown app, where a change to the day's hours or windows is announced, and the second is the front desk on 978 491-5922. Do not assume either way. A nor'easter forecast for the afternoon can leave the morning windows untouched, and a storm that fizzles can still leave the roads iced at 6:30 AM. The notice is the answer; the forecast is only your reason to look for it.
What does not change is the care of dogs already staying. Overnight suites are monitored 24/7, and meals, medication and rest run as booked. If the storm lands mid-stay while you are away, your dog's day looks like any other winter day at Dogtown: indoor play floors instead of the iced turf, a quiet suite at night. Report cards may arrive later than usual, because the dogs come before the phones.
- Open the Dogtown app first; storm changes to hours and windows are announced there
- Call 978 491-5922 if the app leaves a question
- Overnight guests are monitored 24/7 and cared for through the storm
- Never drive to Eastern Ave during a state of emergency travel ban
How it works at Dogtown
The notice covers three things: the doors, the windows and the van
A storm notice tells you whether daycare is running, which drop-off and pick-up windows are in effect, and, if you booked it, whether the Pup Van is on the road. Those are the three things a snow emergency can change. The regular windows are the reference point: weekdays 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6:30 PM, Saturday 8 to 10 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6 PM, and Sunday 8 to 10 AM and 4 to 6 PM for overnight guests only.
For dogs already in the building when a storm arrives during the day, the routine adapts rather than stops: playgroups move to the indoor floors, rest blocks get longer, and pick-up runs inside whatever window the notice sets. If you are stuck beyond Route 128 or on a stalled Rockport line train, message the front desk or call so the team knows your timing. A stay already in progress needs nothing from you; if your own travel home is delayed, message about extending it rather than assuming, since the extra night at $78 depends on the suite being free.
| What you booked | What to check | Then |
|---|---|---|
| A daycare day | The app notice for hours and windows | Message the front desk: coming, late or staying home |
| An overnight stay in progress | Nothing needed; your dog is monitored 24/7 | Expect updates later than usual on the storm day |
| An overnight drop-off or pick-up | The notice for the window that day | Confirm your time by message the day before |
| The Pup Van | Ask the front desk about the van specifically | Have a plan to drive if the van is not running |
| A grooming appointment | Call the studio before you set out | Rebook if the roads are bad |
| The free evaluation | The forecast the night before | Move it to a clear weekday morning |
Planning around a nor'easter
Watch the Boston forecast office, respect a travel ban, and decide the night before
The National Weather Service Boston office at weather.gov/box issues the watches and warnings for Cape Ann, and its forecast discussion the evening before is the most useful thing you can read. A winter storm warning with heavy snow through the morning commute is a different day from six inches that ends at 4 AM. Massachusetts governors have at times declared a state of emergency with a travel ban during major blizzards; when one is in force, non-essential vehicles are off the roads, and a daycare drop-off is not essential travel, so plan for a home day.
Then decide the night before, and tell us. If you are keeping your dog home, message the front desk so the group count is right. If you are coming, aim for the early end of the window before the plows fall behind. Commuters should check the MBTA before relying on the Rockport line in heavy snow, and remember that even on a clear day dogs are barred from trains between 7 and 10 AM and 4 and 7 PM.
- 01
The evening before, read the National Weather Service Boston forecast and any winter storm warning for Essex County
- 02
Check whether the Governor has declared a state of emergency or a travel ban; if so, plan a home day
- 03
Open the Dogtown app for the storm notice, then call 978 491-5922 if anything is unclear
- 04
Message the front desk with your decision: coming, coming late, or staying home
- 05
If you are coming, arrive at the early end of the window and allow extra time for Route 128
- 06
After the storm, check the notice again; the day after can be worse for ice than the storm itself
What it means for your dog
A storm day indoors is still a good day; the paws and the sidewalks are the real hazard
For most dogs, a snow day at Dogtown is the indoor play floors and longer rest, and the report card will look ordinary. The dogs who need thought are at the edges. Short-coated and small dogs lose heat fast; the AVMA's cold-weather guidance is to shorten time outside, watch for shivering or lifted paws, and wipe salt and de-icer off feet, because dogs lick it. A brindle boxer bouncing through the yard after a storm is one thing; a chihuahua in the same yard is a five-minute visit.
Puppies mid-vaccine series are not yet daycare dogs, so a storm is simply a home day with more indoor play; our how-to on potty training in a New England winter covers the hard part. Seniors are the ones to keep off iced granite steps and salted sidewalks, and a message about a stiff hip after a storm helps the team choose a quieter group. For an anxious dog, a nor'easter's wind and the plows at night are a real stressor; a lick mat at $5 or a frozen Kong at $6 on the next daycare day gives them something to do with it. And once the roads clear, remember Gloucester's beaches allow dogs from October 1 to April 30, Good Harbor on even-numbered days, so the day after a storm is often the best walk of the year.
- Short-coated and small dogs: short outdoor time, then wipe salt off the paws
- Puppies not yet cleared for daycare: a home day with indoor games
- Seniors: avoid iced steps and salted sidewalks; tell us about stiffness
- Anxious dogs: enrichment on the next visit helps settle a storm-week dog
At Dogtown
The services a storm touches
Daycare days, overnight suites and the Pup Van are what a snow notice changes; here is what each one offers on a normal day.
Pick-up & drop-off
The Pup Van comes to you.
Pup Van pick-up and drop-off is available for $10 each way in the Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea area. Not in the area? Ask us for pricing.
- Rockport
- Gloucester
- Essex
- Manchester-by-the-Sea
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Does Dogtown close when Gloucester declares a snow emergency?
What happens to my dog if I cannot get back for pick-up in a storm?
Will my overnight dog get outside during a nor'easter?
How do I know when Cape Ann is under a winter storm warning?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Winter is easier with a plan.
Get the free weekday-morning evaluation done before the first nor'easter, keep the app on your phone, and let the storm notice make the call for you.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
