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

Section 15 of Swampscott's general bylaws allows dogs on the public beaches for exercise and play between October 1 and May 20, at the time of writing. The owner or keeper stays with the dog the whole time. Walking to and from the high water mark the dog is leashed; between that line and the water's edge it may run free, but only under your direct control and supervision. The town posts the other half of the rule on every public beach: no dogs between May 20 and October 1.

The bylaw makes the owner answerable for the dog's behavior and forbids harassing wildlife. A dog the Animal Control Officer judges a nuisance, or a safety or health hazard, can be barred from every public beach in town, and returning it after a ban brings a fine. Beach fines start at $25 for a first offense and rise to $50. Gloucester's public beaches also reopen to dogs on October 1, so the fall calendar on Cape Ann lines up with yours.

From Swampscott, Route 1A heads north into Salem, and once you cross into Beverly, Route 22 runs up to Route 128 north. Stay on 128 over the Annisquam River until it ends in Gloucester, then follow Eastern Avenue the short way to number 210. Allow about 40 minutes outside rush hour, by our estimate, and more when downtown Salem is busy. If your workday points toward Boston, Gloucester is the opposite direction, so whole days or overnight stays usually make more sense than short visits.

Swampscott is outside the Pup Van towns; ask us about pick-up. The $10 each-way price is fixed for Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, and for a Swampscott street the front desk will tell you whether the route can reach you on your days and what it would cost. Walks at home work the same way: availability depends on the address and the season, so ask us whether we cover yours.

Every new dog starts with the free evaluation, on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM by appointment: a temperament test, then a few supervised hours in a group so we can see where your dog fits. It opens daycare, Academy days, overnight stays and walks. Grooming, for dogs and cats, books straight in online or in the Dogtown app without it.

We tell the stories of Dogtown dogs from Swampscott only with the family's written permission, so ask the front desk if you want to know how other Swampscott dogs settle in. Bring the January license and the vaccination records, and enter FIRST15 on the first daycare booking for 15 percent off. If your dog is shy or new to groups, tell us before the evaluation so our team can plan around it.