House rules
Dogtown policies: vaccinations, evaluation, cancellations
Policies are only useful when they are written down where you can find them. This page collects Dogtown's, as they stand at 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester, and says plainly where the front desk, not this page, is the source of the current terms.
Health
Vaccinations and the city license: Rabies, DHPP, Bordetella and a current tag
Every dog in the building must be current on Rabies, Distemper (DHPP or the equivalent combination) and Bordetella, and must hold a current dog license from its own city or town. Proof of both comes with you to the evaluation, along with the quick new customer form. The rule protects the other 7 to 10 dogs in your dog's group as much as it protects yours.
Licensing is local. Gloucester's City Clerk at 9 Dale Ave issues licenses for $20 (spayed or neutered) plus a one-dollar fee with a current rabies certificate, and renewals are late after April 30 with a $20 penalty. Manchester-by-the-Sea licenses run April 1 to March 31 at $20, or $25 if the dog is not neutered. Rockport and Essex license through their own town offices, and we accept whichever town's tag is yours.
- Rabies, DHPP (or equivalent) and Bordetella on file
- A current city or town dog license
- Both shown at the free evaluation with the new customer form
- Grooming clients book without the evaluation
The gate
The free evaluation: required for groups, walks and stays, never for grooming
Before daycare, Dogtown Academy, an overnight stay or at-home walks, every dog completes a free evaluation: a temperament test with our trainers, then a few supervised hours in a group so we can see how the dog settles and plays. Evaluations run Monday to Friday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, by appointment only. The point is placement: which group of 7 to 10 dogs, matched by size and temperament, is the right one for yours.
Grooming is the exception. Dog and cat grooming appointments book straight away online, in the Dogtown app or by phone, with no evaluation. Each cat is assessed at the appointment for coat condition and temperament, and a cat who cannot be groomed safely is referred to a vet. Dogs with particular behavioral needs should be flagged on the form so our team can plan the evaluation around them.
- 01
Send the new customer form
- 02
Book a weekday evaluation between 6:30 and 9:30 AM
- 03
Bring the vaccination records and the current license
- 04
Temperament test with our trainers
- 05
A few supervised hours in a matched group
- 06
Placement confirmed; book daycare, Academy, a stay or walks
The clock
Hours and drop-off windows, including the Sunday rule for overnight guests
We are open Monday to Friday 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM and Saturday 8 AM to 6 PM. Sunday is closed for daycare; the doors open only for overnight-stay drop-off and pick-up. Arrivals and departures happen inside set windows so the groups are not disrupted mid-session. If you are going to miss a window, tell the front desk; the late pick-up terms are theirs to confirm, not ours to print here.
The Pup Van works inside the same windows: $10 each way in Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, booked with the day. For holiday hours, ask the front desk before a long weekend rather than assuming the Sunday pattern applies. The windows exist to keep the groups settled: a dog arriving mid-session unsettles the room, and one leaving draws the others to the door.
| Day | Drop-off and pick-up windows |
|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM, 4 to 6:30 PM |
| Saturday | 8 to 10 AM, 12 to 1 PM, 4 to 6 PM |
| Sunday (overnight stays only) | 8 to 10 AM, 4 to 6 PM |
| Evaluations | Monday to Friday, 6:30 to 9:30 AM, by appointment |
Booking
FIRST15, the app and the grooming appointment rules
New customers take 15 percent off the first daycare visit with the code FIRST15 at checkout, online or in the Dogtown app. The app, on the App Store and Google Play, is where bookings, report cards, weekly deals and messages to the front desk live; online booking runs on MoeGo. Enrichment add-ons ($5 to $10) and grooming can be added to a daycare day, an Academy day or an overnight stay when you book.
Grooming has one written fee of its own: a $10 cancellation fee applies to grooming appointments cancelled without notice. Rebooking at pick-up saves $5 on the next grooming service. The unlimited daycare membership at $700 a month includes daycare Monday to Saturday, two enrichment sessions a month, 15 percent off grooming, priority holiday overnight reservations and a birthday enrichment session.
- FIRST15: 15 percent off the first daycare visit
- Grooming cancelled without notice: $10 fee
- Rebook grooming at pick-up: $5 off the next service
- Membership $700 a month with priority holiday overnight reservations
Ask the desk
Medication, illness, late pick-up, cancellations and packs: the front desk confirms the current terms
Some terms change with the season and the booking, so we do not print them here as if they were fixed. Medication during an overnight stay, what happens if a dog shows signs of illness, late pick-up, cancelling a daycare day or a stay, and how long 5- and 10-packs remain valid: for each of these, the front desk confirms the current terms when you book, and the terms on your receipt and in the app are the ones that apply.
What we can say here: for overnight stays you may bring pre-portioned food, any necessary medications and one small comfort item, and we provide the bedding. If your dog has a behavioral or medical need, tell us in advance so the evaluation and the group placement account for it. Nor'easters and ice can change a day on Cape Ann; message the front desk through the app before you drive over in a storm.
- Medication, illness, late pick-up, cancellations, pack validity: confirmed at booking
- Overnight packing: pre-portioned food, medications, one comfort item
- Particular needs flagged in advance on the form
- Storm days: message the front desk in the app first
At Dogtown
The services these policies cover
Daycare, overnight stays and walks sit behind the evaluation; grooming for dogs and cats books straight in.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Do you require Bordetella?
Can I skip the evaluation if my dog has been to daycare elsewhere?
What happens if I am late for pick-up?
Is there a cancellation fee?
Do daycare packs expire?
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
The rules, then the evaluation.
Vaccination records, the city license and the new customer form, then a weekday-morning evaluation between 6:30 and 9:30 AM. Grooming books straight in.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
