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Boxford

Dogtown for Boxford, MA dog owners: daycare, boarding, grooming and training

Boxford is a town of back roads, bridle paths and conserved woods, and the town says plainly that it has no leash law. Here is what that means on a Boxford trail, the license the town expects by January 31, the drive to Eastern Ave, and the Dogtown services that suit a dog with that much freedom.

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German shorthaired pointer close-up outdoors

Last reviewed October 10, 2026 · by the Dogtown team

Getting to Eastern Ave
Interstate 95 south, Route 1 and Route 62 east to Route 128, then 128 north to its end and Eastern Avenue: about 40 minutes outside rush hour, by our estimate
The Pup Van
Outside the Pup Van towns; ask us about pick-up
Dog licensing
Boxford Town Clerk: $20 spayed or neutered, $25 intact; calendar-year license with a $25 late fee per dog after January 31 (boxfordma.gov; town code 52-8)
The beach rule
No town leash law; hounds must be leashed or chained off the owner's land from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise (town code 52-1); Stiles Pond Beach is residents-only and its page sets no dog rule (boxfordma.gov)
A trail we know
Elmlea Woods (Essex County Greenbelt), Captain Cashin Way: 1.5 miles of trail; dogs welcome with a leash carried and waste carried out, open sunrise to sunset (ecga.org)
Dogtown dogs from here
Ask us about Dogtown dogs from Boxford
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No leash law

Boxford has no leash law, so recall and judgment do the work

The town's own page says it in one line: the Town of Boxford does not have a leash law. Chapter 52 of the town code still draws a few limits. A hound may not run off its owner's land without a chain or leash between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise. A dog not licensed in Boxford must be kept from running at large. And the Animal Control Officer can order a dog restrained in schools, school playgrounds, parks and public recreation areas, or anywhere it has been an annoyance or a danger.

That freedom puts the weight on your dog's recall and on your sense of when to clip the leash back on. Elmlea Woods lists horseback riding among its uses, other walkers may not want a visit, and a dog that becomes an annoyance can be ordered restrained. This is where structured work pays off: Dogtown Academy, at $89 a full day, folds a training session and one-on-one trainer time into a day of play, and private training sessions start from $94.

  • No town leash law, in the town's own words
  • Hounds leashed or chained off your land from dusk to dawn
  • Dogs not licensed in Boxford must be restrained
  • Animal Control can order restraint in schools and parks

Licensing

Boxford licenses cost $20 or $25 and turn late after January 31

Boxford licenses dogs through the Town Clerk for the calendar year, and every dog must be licensed on reaching six months of age. At the time of writing the fee is $20 for a spayed or neutered dog and $25 for an intact dog. The canine bylaw adds a $25 late fee per dog after January 31, and a dog that has just moved to Boxford has 31 days from arrival before that fee applies. Proof of rabies vaccination is a condition of the application, and licenses can be bought online.

We ask for the Boxford license at the free evaluation, together with the Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records, and a dog joins a playgroup only once both are on file. If the license has lapsed, renewing it online before the drive saves a second morning trip to Eastern Ave. A Gloucester license is not needed; your own town's is the one we check.

Boxford trails

Elmlea Woods and the Greenbelt land: a leash in your pocket, out by sunset

Elmlea Woods, conserved by Essex County Greenbelt in 2023, has 42 acres and 1.5 miles of easy trail that link to the 57-acre Boxford Common. Greenbelt lists dog walking, hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking there, and the paved lot is at the far end of Captain Cashin Way, past the second soccer field. Carter Fields, off Carter Field Road, is the short option: half a mile through hardwoods to a waterside viewing platform over a successional wetland, where herons nested until the dead trees fell and the colony relocated.

Greenbelt welcomes dogs unless a property page says otherwise and asks the same things on every property: bring a leash and use it on an aggressive dog, keep the barking down, never leave a dog unattended, stop the digging, and pick up and carry out the waste. Every Greenbelt property is open sunrise to sunset. Stiles Pond Beach is a residents-only membership beach, and its town page sets no dog rule, so ask the beach staff before you bring a dog.

  • Elmlea Woods: 42 acres, 1.5 miles, parking off Captain Cashin Way
  • Greenbelt: dogs welcome unless a property page says otherwise
  • Carry a leash, and carry out the waste
  • Greenbelt properties open sunrise to sunset

From Boxford to Eastern Ave

I-95 south, Route 62 east, then Route 128 north to its end in Gloucester

From Boxford center, Topsfield Road leads to Interstate 95. Take it south a few miles, follow the short stretch of Route 1 to Route 62, and head east on 62 to Route 128 north. Route 128 runs through Danvers and Beverly into Gloucester and ends at the rotaries, and from there Eastern Avenue takes you the short way to number 210. It is about 40 minutes outside rush hour, by our estimate.

Boxford is outside the Pup Van towns; ask us about pick-up. The $10 each-way price covers Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea only, and the front desk will tell you whether your Boxford road can be reached and at what cost. Given that drive, most Boxford families make each trip count: a groom during a daycare day, a suite for a travel week, or an Academy day rather than a half day of play.

What Boxford books

Baths for trail coats, overnight stays for travel weeks, Academy days for recall

Woods and fields send dogs home with burrs and mud, and tick season runs from April to November, so check your dog over after every walk. A bath at Dogtown is $55 to $95 by size and needs no evaluation, de-matting is $15 per 20 minutes for the coat that found a briar patch, and a full groom runs $75 to $120. Overnight suites are $78 a night with playgroups by day and 24/7 monitoring, and overnight guests can come and go on Sundays from 8 to 10 AM and 4 to 6 PM.

We share stories about Dogtown dogs from Boxford only with the family's written permission, so ask us if you would like to hear how other Boxford dogs get on. The first step for daycare, Academy, overnight stays and walks is the free evaluation on a weekday morning; grooming books straight in. For a Boxford dog's first daycare visit, the code FIRST15 takes 15 percent off.

  1. 01

    Send the new customer form with your Boxford address

  2. 02

    Renew the Boxford license online if January 31 has passed

  3. 03

    Book the evaluation for a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM

  4. 04

    Bring the Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records down I-95 and up Route 128

  5. 05

    Book a suite, an Academy day or daycare, and add a bath before pick-up

BookingPrice at DogtownFree evaluation needed
Daycare, full or half day$42 or $33Yes
Dogtown Academy, full day$89Yes
Overnight suite$78 a nightYes
Bath or full groom$55 to $95, or $75 to $120No
Training sessionFrom $94A short assessment instead

At Dogtown

What Boxford dogs drive to Gloucester for

Academy days that build recall, baths for burrs and mud, overnight suites, and daycare when the week allows.

Husky standing on the turf play yard at Dogtown, looking at the camera Dog DaycareFrom $33 · Explore Dogtown trainer playing with a small doodle on the outdoor turf Dogtown AcademyNewFrom $69 · Explore Groomer blow-drying a red goldendoodle in front of the Dogtown Grooming sign Dog GroomingFrom $55 · Explore Golden retriever resting on a cozy bed in a Dogtown boarding suite Overnight StaysFrom $78 · Explore

Every price on one page

Asked and answered

Questions people ask about this

Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.

Does Boxford have a leash law?
No. The town says plainly that Boxford does not have a leash law. Hounds must still be leashed or chained off their owner's land from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, unlicensed dogs must be restrained, and Animal Control can order a dog restrained in schools, parks and public recreation areas.
How long is the drive from Boxford to Dogtown?
A Boxford driver needs about 40 minutes outside rush hour, by our estimate. Take Interstate 95 south, a short stretch of Route 1 and Route 62 east to Route 128, then 128 north to its end in Gloucester and Eastern Avenue to number 210. The weekday drop-off window opens at 6:30 AM, which keeps the trip ahead of the heavier traffic.
Does the Pup Van come to Boxford?
Boxford is outside the Pup Van towns, so ask us about pick-up. Boxford is not on the list of towns with the $10 each-way van price. Tell the front desk your road and the days you need, and we will say whether a route can reach you and what it would cost before you book.
When is a Boxford dog license late?
After January 31. Boxford licenses run on the calendar year at $20 for a spayed or neutered dog and $25 for an intact dog, and the town adds a $25 late fee per dog after the deadline. A dog that has just arrived in town has 31 days before the late fee applies, and licenses can be bought online.
Can my Boxford dog get a bath without the evaluation?
Yes. Grooming is the one Dogtown service with no evaluation. Book a bath ($55 to $95 by size) or a full groom ($75 to $120) online, in the app or by phone. If burrs have matted the coat, de-matting is $15 per 20 minutes, and the groomer confirms the final price at check-in.

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

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Next step

Boxford trail dogs, off the trail and into a playgroup.

Send the new customer form, book a free weekday-morning evaluation, and ask us about pick-up from your Boxford road.

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  1. 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
  2. 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
  3. 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
New customers FIRST15 15% off your first daycare visit · use at checkout

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