Last-minute dog boarding in Gloucester: what we can do this week

Dogtown asks for current Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella vaccinations and a current city dog license before any stay. If a vaccine has lapsed, the fix runs through your vet's calendar, not ours: a booster appointment, then whatever interval your vet advises before the dog mixes with others. Find the records first; a lapsed date discovered at the evaluation costs you the morning.

The license is the trap in Gloucester. At the time of writing the city renews licenses online for dogs with a current rabies certificate, but new licenses go by mail or into the drop box at City Hall, the City Clerk's office does not process them at the counter, and tags arrive by mail. A dog that has never been licensed here cannot be licensed in an afternoon. Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea run their own offices; if your application is in the mail, ask the front desk what they can accept.

The published rate does not change with notice: the suite is $78 a night, the Dogtown Classic bundle adds $10 and the Deluxe $15. The evaluation that comes before a new dog's first night is free. If you are leaving in a hurry, add any bundle at booking rather than mid-stay; the Deluxe brings a daily stuffed Kong or Toppl, enrichment and the memory-foam bed. Our overnight stays page lists everything else included.

The building is on Eastern Ave, on the Rockport side of downtown Gloucester. When the day has run away from you, the Pup Van can collect your dog for $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea; ask whether a run fits the window you need, and outside those towns ask for pricing. Pack pre-portioned food for every day plus a spare, any medications with written instructions, and one comfort item.