How to gather vaccine records for daycare

Dogtown asks for proof of Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella, plus a current city dog license; if your vet used a different combination vaccine, ask the front desk before the evaluation. Proof means a document from the veterinary practice that names your dog, the vaccine and the date it was given: a vaccination history printed or emailed by the practice, and for rabies, the signed certificate. Two things people often bring are not proof on their own. The rabies tag on the collar points to a certificate without replacing it, and a reminder postcard shows when a shot is due, not that it was given.

Massachusetts spells out what a rabies certificate contains. Under chapter 140, section 145B of the General Laws, the veterinarian completes it at the time of the shot with the owner's name and address, a description of the animal, the date of vaccination, the tag number, the vaccine type, the route, the vaccine's expiration date and the lot number. If your copy is missing any of those, ask the practice for a fresh printout before the evaluation.

The quickest route is one email or call to the practice that gives the vaccines, asking for two things by name: the vaccination history for your dog and a copy of the current rabies certificate. If your dog has seen more than one vet, or came from a shelter, a breeder or another state, ask each source for its records and check which is the most recent. Do this a week ahead, so a missing booster leaves time for an appointment rather than a rebooked evaluation.

When the records arrive, read them before you file them. The dog's name should match the name on the new customer form and the license, each of the three vaccines should carry a date, and nothing should expire before the evaluation. Save a PDF or a clear photo of each page in one phone album, then send them with the new customer form or bring them to the evaluation, on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM at 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester.

Dogtown's published requirements are Rabies, DHPP, Bordetella and a current city license, checked at the free evaluation; ask the front desk about anything else, including how renewals are handled. Call 978 491-5922 before the evaluation morning if you cannot get a record in time, if a vaccine name on the history is not one you recognize, or if your vet has advised against a vaccine for medical reasons. We would rather sort it out on the phone than rebook a weekday slot.

Once the records are in, the evaluation opens daycare, Dogtown Academy, overnight stays and walks, and new customers take 15 percent off the first daycare visit with the code FIRST15. The Pup Van can bring your dog in from Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea for $10 each way. The same records serve you beyond our door: Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea admits only licensed, vaccinated dogs wearing an ID collar during its dog season.