Notes from the year
The year at Dogtown, in the numbers we can share
We do not publish the counts you might expect from a year in review: how many dogs came on the busiest day, how many baths, how many miles the van drove. Those belong to the families. What we can write down is what the year looked like from the front desk.
The numbers
1,500+ pets, 10,000 square feet, groups of 7 to 10, since 2023
Northshore Dogtown opened in 2023 at 210 Eastern Ave, and the count of happy pets now reads 1,500 and more. The building is 10,000 square feet: indoor play floors, a turf yard with pools and platforms, a grooming studio, a cat room, overnight suites and the Academy's sensory garden. Playgroups are 7 to 10 dogs.
Those are the published figures, and we are careful not to add to them. We can say that the newest parts of the menu are Dogtown Academy, at-home walking and the enrichment add-ons, and that the app now carries booking, report cards and weekly deals. Ask the front desk anything the site does not answer.
- Founded 2023, 210 Eastern Ave, Gloucester
- 10,000 square feet indoors and out
- 1,500+ happy pets, groups of 7 to 10
The prices
Every price we charge is on this site, so here is the year's menu in one place
Daycare is $42 a full day and $33 a half day, with 10-packs at $380 and $290 and the unlimited membership at $700 a month. Overnight suites are $78 a night, plus $10 for the Classic bundle or $15 for the Deluxe. Dogtown Academy is $89 a full day and $69 a half day. Training sessions start from $94.
Grooming runs from a $55 bath to a $120 full service by size; cat grooming from $45 minimal trims to $120 full service. Walks are $25, $35 and $55 for 20, 30 and 60 minutes. Enrichment add-ons run $5 to $10, and the Pup Van is $10 each way in the four Cape Ann towns.
The calendar
The Cape Ann year sets the rhythm: October 1, April 1, June 1 and the storms between
The seasons here are dated. October 1 reopens the Gloucester beaches to dogs, Good Harbor on even days and Wingaersheek on odd, and the front desk fills with sandy dogs and bath bookings. April 1 closes Good Harbor for piping plovers; April 30 is the Gloucester license deadline. June 1 closes Rockport's.
In between are the nor'easters that push the daycare day onto the indoor floors, the tick season from April to November that our groomers track at the table, the Fiesta and July 3 fireworks that send nervous dogs to the suites, and the summer residents who arrive in June and leave after the Schooner Festival on Labor Day weekend.
- 01
October 1: beaches reopen, baths from $55 fill the studio
- 02
Late November to New Year: holiday suites confirmed by the front desk
- 03
April 1: Good Harbor closes for plovers; the turf takes the beach dogs
- 04
June 1: Rockport closes; the summer residents arrive
The rules
Ollie's Law and the regulations due in 2026 are the year's other calendar
Massachusetts passed Ollie's Law, An Act to Increase Kennel Safety, on September 20, 2024; it took effect on December 19, 2024, and MDAR is due to publish daycare and boarding regulations in 2026. We read every draft, because a business built on small matched groups and 24/7 monitoring of overnight guests welcomes clear rules.
For families the practical rules stay the same: Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella on file, a current town license, and the free evaluation on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM before daycare, Academy, a stay or a walk. Grooming needs none of that. The year ahead starts with a new dog at the door on a weekday morning.
- Ollie's Law signed September 20, 2024, in effect December 19, 2024
- MDAR daycare and boarding regulations due in 2026
- Vaccines, license and the free evaluation unchanged for families
At Dogtown
The services behind the numbers
Daycare, overnight stays and everything else on the menu, priced as published.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
How many dogs does Dogtown care for?
Did Dogtown's prices change this year?
What is Ollie's Law and does it affect Dogtown?
What is new at Dogtown?
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
Be part of next year's count.
Book the free weekday evaluation and use FIRST15 for 15 percent off the first daycare visit. The rest of the year takes care of itself.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
