Notes from the road
Notes from the Pup Van route
The navy van with the dog portraits on the side covers a lot of Cape Ann in a week. This note is about the route itself: where it goes, why the windows move, and what the dogs on it have taught us about a good pick-up.
The loop
Four towns, two runs a day, and a route that changes with the bookings
The van's territory is the four towns where most Dogtown dogs live: Rockport out along Route 127, the Gloucester neighborhoods from Lanesville to Magnolia, Essex by Route 133, and Manchester-by-the-Sea along the coast. The morning run brings dogs in and the afternoon run takes them home, in an order that changes with who is booked.
Because the route is built from that day's bookings, the window for your street is confirmed by the front desk rather than printed here. A Rockport pick-up on a day with three Essex dogs sits at a different time than on a day with none. Add the van when you book and we tell you when to expect it.
- Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea
- $10 each way, added to a daycare, Academy or overnight booking
- Window confirmed per address by the front desk
The hand-off
A leash at the door and a short, calm ride make the difference
The best pick-ups are boring. The dog is leashed and waiting, the family has said goodbye before the door opens, and the walk to the van is a walk, not a chase. Dogs who ride regularly learn the sound of the van and are at the door before the knock. Nervous riders get the same slow approach every time.
A dog who hates the car is not a lost cause. The guides on this site cover getting a dog used to the Pup Van and teaching car manners, and our handlers can suggest a first ride on a quiet day. The report card in the app covers the daycare day; ask the front desk how the ride went.
- 01
Add the van to your booking online, in the app or by phone
- 02
Have your dog leashed and at the door for the confirmed window
- 03
Keep the goodbye short and let the handler take the leash
- 04
Read the report card in the app at the end of the day
Why the van
No peak ban, no downtown parking, no second car
The Rockport line is the obvious alternative for a Boston commuter and it does not work with a dog: the MBTA allows leashed non-service dogs only off-peak at staff discretion, never during the 7 to 10 AM and 4 to 7 PM peaks, and never on seats. A commuter on an early train cannot bring the dog to 210 Eastern Ave first.
The van also helps people who cannot reach Eastern Ave inside the weekday windows of 6:30 to 9:30 AM and 4 to 6:30 PM, and it turns a daycare day into a hands-free one for a family in Essex or a summer rental in Rockport.
- MBTA: no dogs at peak, 7 to 10 AM and 4 to 7 PM
- Van: $10 each way, no peak rule
- Hands-free daycare from Essex to Rockport
Outside the loop
Ipswich, Beverly and beyond: ask the front desk for pricing
Dogtown serves families from Ipswich, Beverly, Danvers, Peabody and Salem too, and the published $10 each way covers only the four Cape Ann towns. For an address outside them, ask the front desk for pricing; the answer depends on the distance and the day's route.
Whatever the address, every dog on the van has completed the free evaluation first, weekdays between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, because the van delivers to a matched playgroup of 7 to 10. Grooming needs no evaluation, and a bath from $55 can be booked into a daycare day so a dog rides home clean.
At Dogtown
The van and the day it delivers to
Pick-up and drop-off at $10 each way, and the daycare day at the other end.
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.
What time will the Pup Van pick up my dog?
Does the Pup Van cost extra for two dogs from one house?
Can the van pick up from a house outside the four towns?
Can my dog take the train to Dogtown instead?
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
Put your street on the route.
Book the free weekday evaluation, then add the Pup Van to your first daycare day. $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
