Cape Ann daycare
Dog daycare on Cape Ann: Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester
On Cape Ann the daycare question changes with the calendar. From spring into September the beaches close to dogs one after another, summer visitors arrive needing an evaluation, and the roads fill. This page covers each town's route and the Pup Van, the beach dates that shape a Cape Ann dog's summer, and how to get a summer dog evaluated in time.
Town by town
Every Cape Ann town is 20 minutes or less from Eastern Ave, and the Pup Van covers all four for $10 each way
Rockport is the closest neighbor: about 10 to 15 minutes down Route 127, or Route 127A from the Long Beach side, outside summer weekends by our estimate. Inside Gloucester, downtown and East Gloucester are about 5 minutes away, while Magnolia, Lanesville, Annisquam and West Gloucester take 10 to 15. Essex comes in on Route 133 and then Route 128 in about 20 minutes, and Manchester-by-the-Sea takes about 20 by Route 128 or by the shore road, Route 127, through Magnolia.
The Pup Van makes the drive optional. It collects and returns dogs for $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, villages included, for daycare, Academy days and overnight stays. The pick-up time for your street is set with the front desk when you add the van to a booking, so ask for it then rather than guessing. From outside the four towns, ask us for pricing before you plan a week around the van.
- Rockport: Route 127 or 127A, about 10 to 15 minutes
- Gloucester: about 5 minutes from downtown, 10 to 15 from the villages
- Essex: Route 133, then Route 128, about 20 minutes
- Manchester-by-the-Sea: Route 128 or Route 127, about 20 minutes
- Pup Van in all four towns at $10 each way
Beach season
From spring to mid-September the Cape Ann beaches close to dogs, so a yard with pools becomes the place to run
At the time of writing, Gloucester closes Good Harbor to dogs from April 1 and Wingaersheek, Plum Cove and Cressy's from May 1, all through September 30. Rockport bans dogs from its public beaches from June 1 to September 15. Essex closes its beaches and Centennial Grove to dogs in June, July and August, and Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea takes dogs only from October 15 to April 14. Rules change, so check each town's page before you head out with a leash and a towel.
That leaves an energetic Cape Ann dog with a long, warm season and far fewer places to run. A daycare day fills the gap with matched playgroups of 7 to 10 dogs on the turf yard, pools and platforms for the summer afternoons, and the indoor play floors when the weather turns. Half days at $33 suit a dog who needs a morning of play before a lazy afternoon on the porch, and full days at $42 cover a commuter's whole day.
Summer residents
Summer residents should book the weekday evaluation before they arrive, because it never runs on a weekend
Every new dog does a free evaluation before its first daycare day: a temperament test, then a few supervised hours in a group. It runs Monday to Friday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM by appointment, never on a Saturday or Sunday, which is the catch for a family arriving at a Rockport rental on a Saturday in July. Book it for the first weekday morning of your stay, or for a weekday during a spring visit, and the rest of the summer is simple.
The paperwork travels with you. Bring Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records and your dog's current license from home; if your dog is licensed outside Massachusetts, ask the front desk before the evaluation whether that license meets the requirement. Fill in the new customer form on this site in advance. New customers take 15 percent off the first daycare visit with FIRST15, and a 5-pack or 10-pack fits a stay of a few weeks better than single days.
- 01
In spring, send the new customer form and your vaccine records
- 02
Book the evaluation for the first weekday morning you are here, 6:30 to 9:30 AM
- 03
Bring your dog's current license from home and confirm it with the front desk
- 04
Buy a 5-pack or 10-pack once you know your weekly rhythm
- 05
Add the Pup Van if you are staying in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex or Manchester
What it costs
Daycare costs $33 for a half day and $42 for a full day, with packs, a membership and the $10 van
Single days are $33 for a half and $42 for a full. Buying ahead cuts the daily figure: half days come at $150 for five or $290 for ten, and full days at $200 for five or $380 for ten, which is $38 a day. Year-round households have a third option in the unlimited daycare membership, $700 a month for daycare Monday through Saturday, with two enrichment sessions, 15 percent off grooming, priority holiday overnight-stay reservations and a birthday enrichment session included.
For a Cape Ann household that is here all year, the membership starts to pay once your dog comes most weekdays. For a summer family, packs fit better: buy for the weeks you are here and use them as the beach calendar dictates. Add enrichment on a hot day, a frozen Kong or homemade pupsicle at $6 or a lick mat at $5, and the Pup Van at $10 each way if nobody wants to sit on Route 127 on an August Saturday.
| Option | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Half day | $33 | Morning or afternoon |
| Full day | $42 | Drop-off from 6:30 AM on weekdays |
| Half-day 5-pack / 10-pack | $150 / $290 | $30 / $29 a day |
| Full-day 5-pack / 10-pack | $200 / $380 | $40 / $38 a day |
| Unlimited membership | $700 a month | Monday to Saturday |
| Pup Van | $10 each way | Rockport, Gloucester, Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea |
| First daycare visit | 15 percent off | Code FIRST15 |
Why Dogtown
Cape Ann owners choose Dogtown for matched groups close to home, certified staff and a building that works in any weather
Groups here are small, typically 7 to 10 dogs, and they are put together by size and temperament at the evaluation rather than by who arrived first. Certified staff run them through the day. The 10,000 square foot building gives the groups two places to be: the outdoor turf yard with pools and platforms, and the indoor play floors for nor'easter days in winter and soaking days in spring. More than 1,500 pets have come through our doors since 2023.
Being on Eastern Ave also keeps everything else local. A bath at Dogtown Grooming can be added to a daycare day after a week of salt and sand, Dogtown Academy at $89 turns a day into structured training with a session from our trainer, and the Dogtown app holds report cards, photos and weekly deals. For a Cape Ann dog that means one stop on the way to work, and for a Rockport or Essex dog it can mean no stop at all.
- Groups of 7 to 10, matched at the evaluation
- Certified staff running the groups all day
- Pools on the turf yard, indoor floors for bad weather
- Grooming and Academy days in the same building
At Dogtown
Daycare on Cape Ann, and the van that gets dogs here
The playgroups first, then the Academy day for a dog who needs a job, and the Pup Van for the four Cape Ann towns.
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 the Pup Van come to Annisquam, Lanesville or Magnolia?
We rent in Rockport for July. Can the evaluation be on a Saturday?
When can my dog go back on Good Harbor Beach?
Is there water to cool off in at daycare?
Is daycare open on Sundays in summer?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- Gloucester dog regulations
- Rockport beach and park regulations
- Essex dog licenses and information
- Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea: Singing Beach
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
Book the evaluation before the season starts.
Weekday mornings, 6:30 to 9:30 AM, by appointment. Summer residents: bring vaccine records and your dog's license from home.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
