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Rowley, MA
Dogtown for Rowley, MA dog owners: daycare, boarding, grooming and training
Rowley's walks run along marsh edges, over a glacial drumlin and through pine woods, and its dogs bring a good share of that home in their coats. This page covers the drive down Route 1A and across Route 133, the town's license dates and leash requests on conservation land, and the Dogtown services that suit a dog who gets that dirty.
- Getting to Eastern Ave
- Route 1A south into Ipswich, Route 133 east through Essex, Route 128 to its end in Gloucester, then Eastern Avenue: about 35 minutes outside rush hour, by our estimate
- The Pup Van
- Outside the Pup Van towns; ask us about pick-up
- Dog licensing
- Town Clerk, 139 Main St: $15 spayed or neutered, $25 intact; licenses expire March 31, $10 late fee as of May 1; free for owners over 70 if on time (townofrowley.net)
- The beach rule
- Town conservation land (Dodge Reservation, Hunsley Hills, Pingree Farm): keep dogs on a leash (Open Space Committee); unrestrained dogs never allowed in the town cemetery (General Bylaws)
- A trail we know
- Dodge Reservation, 390 Wethersfield St or Eiras Park, 477 Haverhill St: 2+ miles of marked trail on 200+ acres; keep dogs on a leash (townofrowley.net)
- Dogtown dogs from here
- Ask us about Dogtown dogs from Rowley
Rowley trails
Dodge Reservation, Hunsley Hills and Pingree Farm: town land where dogs stay on a leash
Rowley's Open Space Committee publishes the town's nature trails, and for each conservation property it asks the same thing: please keep dogs on a leash. Dodge Reservation is the largest, more than 200 acres with over 2 miles of marked trails through fields, wetlands and woods. Park at the YMCA entrance at 390 Wethersfield Street, which has room for three cars, or at Eiras Park, 477 Haverhill Street, off Route 133.
Hunsley Hills is a glacial drumlin with 104 wooded acres and three marked trails up the hill, plus trailhead parking off the eastbound side of Route 133 across from the police station. Pingree Farm Conservation Area at 29 Boxford Road has more than 60 acres, two trails and a boardwalk that links to Georgetown-Rowley State Forest, where the town lists dog walking among the uses of more than 1,000 acres of trail and DCR keeps the forest open sunrise to sunset.
| Trail | Parking | Dog rule |
|---|---|---|
| Dodge Reservation, 200+ acres | 390 Wethersfield St, or Eiras Park at 477 Haverhill St | Keep dogs on a leash |
| Hunsley Hills, 104 acres | Route 133 eastbound, opposite the police station | Keep dogs on a leash |
| Pingree Farm Conservation Area, 60+ acres | 29 Boxford Road | Keep dogs on a leash |
| Georgetown-Rowley State Forest, 1,000+ acres | End of Pingree Farm Road, Georgetown | Dog walking listed by the town; sunrise to sunset |
Rowley rules
Rowley licenses expire March 31, cost $15 or $25, and run late from May 1
Rowley dog licenses run to March 31; the purple 2025 tags expired on March 31, 2026. The Town Clerk at 139 Main Street charges $15 for a spayed or neutered dog and $25 for an intact one, with no fee for owners over 70 or for service dogs licensed on time. Renew online through the town's Pay My Bill page for an extra dollar, by mail or the Treasurer's drop box with a check, a copy of the rabies certificate and a stamped envelope, or in person with cash or a check.
The town's 2026 notice adds a $10 late fee as of May 1, rising each month after, and the dog bylaw lets the Animal Control Officer order owners to restrain a dog from running at large or from excessive barking, with fines from $25 to $250 for breaking state and town dog rules. Skip a year entirely and the next license costs the missed year's fee and penalties as well. The cemetery bylaw adds that unrestrained dogs are never allowed in the town cemetery.
- License year ends March 31
- Fee: $15 spayed or neutered, $25 intact; free over 70 if licensed on time
- Late fee: $10 as of May 1, rising monthly
- Cemetery: no unrestrained dogs at any time
After the marsh
Grooming first: for the Rowley dog who comes home from the trail wearing it
Grooming is the easiest Dogtown service to reach from Rowley because it needs no evaluation: book online, in the app or by phone and bring the dog in. A bath costs $55 for a dog up to 25 pounds, $65 up to 50 pounds, $75 up to 90 pounds, $85 over 90 pounds and $95 for an extra-large long coat; a full-service groom runs $75, $85, $110 and $120 by the same sizes. Burrs and mats picked up on field edges come out at $15 per 20 minutes of de-matting.
Add-ons are priced one by one: nail clipping $16, a face trim $10, an antiseptic or fungal shampoo $8, and the Shed Release treatment $10 for a double coat letting go in spring. Cats can come too, to a separate quiet studio with our cat behavior specialists, from $45 for minimal trims to $120 for full service. If the dog also needs a run, book the groom during a daycare day once the evaluation is done, and it goes home tired and clean.
Stays and days
Daycare and overnight suites, booked around the drive from Rowley
Daycare is $42 a full day or $33 a half day in playgroups of 7 to 10 dogs matched by size and temperament, with five- and ten-day packs that lower the rate. From Rowley the half-day windows help: drop off by 9:30 AM and collect between 12 and 1 PM, or arrive between 12 and 1 PM and collect from 4 PM. Overnight suites are $78 a night, with playgroups by day, 24/7 monitoring and the Classic (+$10) or Deluxe (+$15) bundles.
Rowley is outside the Pup Van towns; ask us about pick-up, because the van serves Essex, the town you drive through on Route 133, along with Rockport, Gloucester and Manchester-by-the-Sea at $10 each way, and a Rowley address is priced on request. At-home walks also depend on the street, so ask whether we cover yours.
- Daycare: $42 full day, $33 half day
- Suites: $78 a night; Classic +$10, Deluxe +$15
- Weekday windows: 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM, 4 to 6:30 PM
- Pup Van: Rowley is outside the van towns, so ask us
The drive
Down Route 1A and across Route 133: about 35 minutes to Eastern Ave
From Rowley Town Hall, take Route 1A south into Ipswich, then turn east onto Route 133 and follow it through Essex, past the marshes, into West Gloucester. Route 133 meets Route 128 there; take 128 to its end and Eastern Avenue for the last mile to number 210. By our estimate it is about 35 minutes outside rush hour, and longer on busy summer weekends when Route 133 fills up.
Plan the first Rowley visit for a weekday morning. The free evaluation runs Monday to Friday from 6:30 to 9:30 AM by appointment: a temperament test, then a few supervised hours in a group. Grooming-only dogs can skip it and book a bath straight away, and once the evaluation is behind you, Saturday daycare drop-off starts at 8 AM.
- 01
Send us the new customer form, noting your Rowley address
- 02
Book the free evaluation on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM
- 03
Bring the Rowley tag plus Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records
- 04
Leave your dog for a temperament test and a few supervised hours with a group
- 05
Book daycare or a suite afterward, or book grooming at any time with no evaluation
At Dogtown
What Rowley dogs come to Gloucester for
Baths and full grooms with no evaluation, daycare, overnight suites and a quiet studio for cats.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Do I need an evaluation just for a groom?
How long is the drive from Rowley to Dogtown?
Does the Pup Van stop in Rowley on its way through Essex?
Where can I walk my dog in Rowley?
Are there Dogtown dogs from Rowley?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- Rowley 2026 dog license renewal notice
- Rowley General Bylaws (revised through August 12, 2025)
- Rowley nature trail maps and descriptions
- Georgetown-Rowley State Forest (DCR)
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
Rowley trail dog, Gloucester bath.
Book a groom today with no evaluation, or schedule the weekday-morning evaluation for daycare and overnight stays.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
