Is Dogtown licensed and insured for board and train?

A kennel license is issued by the city or town under chapter 140 of the General Laws, after an animal control officer inspects the premises, and it states the kind of kennel and the most animals the licensee may keep. Anyone running paid boarding or training while the owner is away needs one; the MSPCA puts it plainly, saying a person boarding even one dog for a fee in Massachusetts must have a kennel license. Because the town issues it, the town clerk can confirm it.

Insurance is different. It is a contract between a business and an insurer, it is not filed with the town clerk, and its value depends on what it covers and for how much. The word on a website tells you little until you know which policy is meant. Ollie's Law names insurance among the topics MDAR's regulations for commercial boarding or training kennels may address, alongside staff training and ratios, but those regulations had not been released as of the March 18, 2026 advisory committee minutes.

The useful insurance question is specific: if my dog is injured during the stay, what pays for its care? General liability cover is usually written for harm to other people or their property, and cover for the animals in a business's hands is a separate matter. The MSPCA's checklist for boarding a pet with an individual asks whether liability insurance includes care, custody or control coverage for that reason. Ask which kind of cover applies to board and train, and whether it extends to training sessions and outings.

Your own arrangements matter as much. If your dog has pet health insurance, check whether it covers an accident that happens in a kennel or training setting and what it needs from you to process a claim, then bring the policy details to the consult. Give us your vet's name and a spending limit you are comfortable approving. That way the question of who pays is answered in writing before it can arise, not argued about afterward.