Are dogs allowed on Thacher Island?

Two bodies speak to dogs on Thacher, and they agree. The Thacher & Straitsmouth Islands Association, which runs the launch, says on its visit page that both Thacher and Straitsmouth are wildlife refuges and are off-limits to pets. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service holds the northern 22 acres of the 52-acre island as Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge, and its rules page states that pets are not allowed on the refuge.

The refuge rules go further: no hunting, fishing, trapping, camping, fires, drones or model aircraft, and no collecting or disturbing of plants, animals or historic items. The Fish and Wildlife Service describes the island as home to herring gulls and great black-backed gulls, with feeding, resting and nesting habitat for migratory songbirds and shorebirds. The association prints its no-pets note right beside the launch details, so treat it as part of the booking, not a footnote.

Some visitors paddle. The association puts Thacher about 3 miles from Rockport Harbor and warns that it is not a simple paddle for novices or anyone with limited endurance. Neither island has a dock: both are reached by ramps used only by the launch, dinghies and kayaks, and only while keepers live on the islands from June through August. Thacher has three free guest moorings about 50 yards off its ramp, and boaters must call the keeper before coming. Arriving in your own boat does not change the rule, since the islands are off-limits to pets however you get there.

With a dog, the island is something to look at. The association notes that Thacher can be seen from the shore on Marmion Way, and its twin lighthouse towers each stand 124 feet tall. Marmion Way is a public street well outside the downtown district, so Rockport's by-law allows a leash or direct voice control there, with the owner present and a leash in hand. On the water side, keep your dog on the road and off the wet ledges.

However long your island visit runs, the dog can spend it in a playgroup. Dogtown's daycare is a full day at $42 or a half day at $33, in a group of 7 to 10 dogs matched by size and temperament, on indoor play floors and an outdoor turf yard with pools and platforms. Rockport is one of the four Pup Van towns, so the van collects your dog at home and brings it back for $10 each way, and you can drive straight to Granite Pier.

Drop-off at 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester runs from 6:30 to 9:30 AM on weekdays and 8 to 10 AM on Saturdays, and pick-up runs from 4 to 6:30 PM on weekdays and 4 to 6 PM on Saturdays, which covers both of the association's main launch days. Every dog new to us starts with a free evaluation on a weekday morning between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, with Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records and a current license. First-time customers can use FIRST15 for 15 percent off that first daycare day.