978 491-5922 Book now
  1. Home
  2. Service areas
  3. Dogtown for Newbury, MA dog owners: daycare, boarding, grooming and training

Newbury

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

Newbury holds a stretch of Plum Island beach, salt marsh trails and the Parker River refuge next door, and each comes with its own dog rule. This page lays out those rules as we found them in October 2026, the town's license calendar, the drive south to Gloucester, and how Newbury families fit Dogtown around the summer beach hours.

Book a free evaluation See pricing
Dog leaning on the play yard fence

Last reviewed October 9, 2026 · by the Dogtown team

Getting to Eastern Ave
Route 1A south through Rowley to Ipswich, Route 133 east through Essex to Route 128, then 128 to its end and Eastern Avenue: about 45 minutes outside rush hour, by our estimate
The Pup Van
Outside the Pup Van towns; ask us about pick-up
Dog licensing
Town Clerk, Town Hall, 12 Kent Way, Byfield: $10 spayed or neutered, $15 intact; due January 1, and from February 1 a $50 state fine plus a $10 town late fee per unlicensed dog (newburyma.gov)
The beach rule
Newbury public beach on Plum Island: no dogs, leashed or not, May 15 to September 15 from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM (town code 56-5); Parker River National Wildlife Refuge: no dogs (fws.gov)
A trail we know
Old Town Hill (The Trustees), Newman Road: dogs leashed April 1 to August 15, off leash under control the rest of the year, sunrise to sunset (thetrustees.org)
Dogtown dogs from here
Ask us about Dogtown dogs from Newbury
RockportEssexManchester-by-the-SeaGloucesterIpswichBeverlyDanversPeabodySalemHamiltonWenhamMarbleheadNewburyportTopsfieldRowleyMiddletonLynnfieldSwampscottBoxfordGeorgetownAmesburyLynnSaugusNorth AndoverAndoverWakefieldReading

Plum Island

No dogs on Newbury's Plum Island beach from May 15 to September 15, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM

Chapter 56 of the Newbury town code, as amended at the April 2025 Town Meeting, keeps dogs off every part of the town's public beach between May 15 and September 15, from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM daily, and the ban covers leashed dogs too. The town defines the public beach as the stretch east of the rear property lines of 2 to 26 Northern Boulevard, running north to 9th Street and 30 Northern Boulevard. Its reason is on the town's beach page: piping plovers and least terns nest on Plum Island, and dogs have been seen chasing plovers.

Before 8:30 AM and after 5:30 PM in summer, and from mid-September to mid-May, the bylaw's beach ban does not apply, though the waste rule always does, with a $50 fine. The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is a different matter: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists dogs among the things not permitted on the refuge, with an exception only for dogs that assist people with disabilities. Plan a Plum Island dog walk for the town beach, never the refuge.

  • Town public beach: no dogs May 15 to September 15, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM
  • The summer ban covers leashed dogs as well
  • Waste pickup on town beaches, with a $50 fine
  • Parker River National Wildlife Refuge: no dogs

Old Town Hill

Old Town Hill: on leash from April 1 to August 15, off leash under control the rest of the year

The Trustees' Old Town Hill, on Newman Road, is the Newbury walk with a dated dog rule. Dogs must be leashed from April 1 to August 15 and may be off leash, but under control, for the rest of the year, and at any time dog walkers must keep out of the sensitive salt marsh and grassland habitats. The property covers 531 acres with about three miles of trails and paths, is open daily from sunrise to sunset, and has parking for around ten cars on the left of Newman Road after you cross the Parker River.

Mark one more date. On parts of Old Town Hill outside the MassWildlife easement, The Trustees run a bow-hunting deer management program from the first Monday in October through December, Monday to Saturday, never on Sundays, so bright colors on you and your dog make sense in those weeks. For a shorter outing, Essex County Greenbelt's Jennie Lagoulis Reservation at 75 Boston Road has 0.7 mile of trail past the old Devil's Den limestone quarries.

  • Leashed April 1 to August 15
  • Off leash but under control the rest of the year
  • Keep out of salt marsh and grassland habitat
  • Bow hunting from the first Monday in October through December, not on Sundays

Licensing

Newbury licenses are due January 1, and the penalties begin February 1

The Town Clerk at Town Hall, 12 Kent Way in Byfield, licenses Newbury dogs for the January 1 to December 31 year, and the town says licenses are due by January 1. At the time of writing the fee is $10 for a spayed or neutered dog and $15 for an intact dog. From February 1 an unlicensed dog costs its owner a $50 state fine plus a $10 town late fee on top of the license; a new dog or a new resident licensed within 30 days is exempt. Apply by mail or in person, with the rabies certificate.

Bring the current Newbury license to the free evaluation at Dogtown with the Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records; we place a dog in a playgroup only once both are on file. Renewing in January also clears the way for spring, when the leash season at Old Town Hill begins and it is worth booking summer daycare days before the beach hours change.

South on Route 1A

Route 1A to Ipswich, Route 133 through Essex, then Route 128 into Gloucester

From Newbury, Route 1A runs south through Rowley into Ipswich, where Route 133 turns east toward Essex. Follow 133 through Essex to Route 128 in West Gloucester, take 128 to its end at the rotaries, and Eastern Avenue brings you to number 210. Allow about 45 minutes outside rush hour, by our estimate, and a little more from the Plum Island end of town or on summer weekends through Essex.

Newbury is outside the Pup Van towns; ask us about pick-up. The van's set price of $10 each way is for Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, and for a Newbury or Byfield street the front desk will tell you whether a route is possible and at what price. Whether we can walk your dog at home depends on the address and the season too, so ask about your street.

What Newbury books

Summer daycare while the beach rule is on, baths for marsh mud, suites for travel

From mid-May to mid-September the town beach is off limits to dogs for most of the day, and daycare fills those hours: $42 a full day or $33 a half day in a playgroup of 7 to 10 dogs matched by size and temperament, with splash pools on the turf yard. A full-day 10-pack is $380. Overnight suites are $78 a night with playgroups by day and 24/7 monitoring, and the Classic and Deluxe bundles add $10 or $15 a night.

The rest of the year brings salt marsh, tidal mud and wet sand into the coat. A bath at Dogtown runs $55 to $95 by size with no evaluation, a full groom $75 to $120, and the antiseptic or fungal shampoo add-on is $8 for skin that the marsh has irritated. Newbury cats are welcome in the quiet cat studio, with a Full Bath at $95, Minimal Trims at $45 and nail clipping at $20.

SeasonNewbury ruleA Dogtown option
April 1 to August 15Old Town Hill: dogs leashedAn Academy day with a trainer, $89
May 15 to September 15Town beach closed to dogs 8:30 AM to 5:30 PMDaycare, $42 a full day or $33 a half
Mid-September to mid-MayNo daytime beach ban in the bylawA bath from $55 after salt and sand
All yearParker River refuge: no dogsAn overnight suite, $78 a night

First visit

A Newbury dog's first visit, from the inquiry form to a playgroup

The free evaluation runs on weekdays between 6:30 and 9:30 AM by appointment: a temperament test, then a few supervised hours in a group, after which our trainers tell you which playgroup suits your dog. It is the gate to daycare, Academy days, overnight stays and walks. Grooming for dogs and cats books straight in without it.

We share stories about Dogtown dogs from Newbury only with the family's written permission, so ask us if you want to hear how Newbury dogs settle in. Use FIRST15 for 15 percent off the first daycare visit, then book days, suites and add-ons online or in the Dogtown app.

  1. 01

    Send the new customer form with your Newbury address

  2. 02

    Renew the license by January 1, or before February 1 at the latest

  3. 03

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

  4. 04

    Drive Route 1A, Route 133 and Route 128 with the Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records

  5. 05

    Book summer daycare days early in the app, before the beach hours begin

At Dogtown

What Newbury dogs and cats come to Gloucester for

Daycare through the summer beach hours, baths for marsh mud, cat grooming in a quiet studio and overnight suites.

Husky standing on the turf play yard at Dogtown, looking at the camera Dog DaycareFrom $33 · Explore Groomer blow-drying a red goldendoodle in front of the Dogtown Grooming sign Dog GroomingFrom $55 · Explore Groomer holding a ginger-and-white cat in front of the Dogtown Grooming sign Cat GroomingFrom $45 · 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.

When can my dog go on the Newbury beach at Plum Island?
At the time of writing, any time from mid-September to mid-May, and before 8:30 AM or after 5:30 PM between May 15 and September 15. During those summer daytime hours, dogs are banned from the whole town public beach, even on a leash. Owners must pick up waste on town beaches, with a $50 fine.
Can I walk my dog in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge?
No. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists dogs, horses and other domestic animals among the things not permitted on the refuge, except dogs that assist people with disabilities. Use the Newbury town beach within its hours, or Old Town Hill, where dogs are leashed from April 1 to August 15 and under control the rest of the year.
How long is the drive from Newbury to Dogtown?
About 45 minutes outside rush hour, by our estimate. Take Route 1A south through Rowley to Ipswich, Route 133 east through Essex to Route 128, then 128 to its end in Gloucester and Eastern Avenue to number 210. Summer weekends through Essex add time, so the weekday morning window is the easier trip.
Does the Pup Van come to Newbury?
Newbury is outside the Pup Van towns, so ask us about pick-up. The van's $10 each-way price covers four towns, Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Newbury is not one of them. Send your Newbury or Byfield street through the customer inquiry form, and the front desk will tell you whether a route can reach you and what it would cost.
What happens if my Newbury dog license is late?
From February 1 the town page lists a $50 state fine per unlicensed dog plus a $10 town late fee, on top of the $10 or $15 license. New dogs and new residents licensed within 30 days are exempt. Renew before the evaluation, because we need a current license on file before a dog joins a group.

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

Dogtown for Amesbury dog ownersDog daycare in GloucesterDogs on Plum Island and Newburyport beachesAll Dogtown service areas Service areas All guides

Next step

Newbury dogs, down Route 1A to Eastern Ave.

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

Book online Customer inquiry Call 978 491-5922
  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

Follow along

Daily photos and report cards.

@dogtowndogdaycare on Instagram

Call Book now