Duchess Poppy Whitehead here! (Once we're friends, you can call me Poppy.)
Every year around this time, I find myself "sniffing-up" with a lot of new members of my Boston Canine Court. So every year I try to let them, and the rest of the dogs who are new to Boston, know what they should put on the to-do list of their human servants.
License
Just like you have to make sure your chauffeur has a valid driver's license, you have to be sure one of your human staff members gets you a Boston dog license (if Boston is your main residence and you are more than six months old).
You can sit them down at a computer and send them to the Animal Care and Control page for more information. Here is the link for your secretary to get your license done on line.
Leash Laws
Please don't come running up to me on one of those long, thin, dangerous strings with a pulley. I'm a bit shy and I don't trust those things. You'll make me stamp my little paw down!
Boston's leash law is clearly stated on the city’s site, “When your dog is off your property, it must be on a leash.” City ordinance calls for a leash of 10-feet or less. That makes most retractable leashes technically illegal in Boston. If a person tries to attach one to you, growl at them.
One more interesting aspect of Boston’s dog rules is that while out with you, your retainers, if asked, must be able to show that they are carrying something to pick up dog waste. This makes city dog walks a prime reason to attach a roll of pick-up bags
Even if your people use recycled bags to do the majority of clean ups, the roll will give them a back up supply if you are stopped after your business is done, but the walk isn’t.
Sir Felix is one of my special knights. He prefers a leather leash
Dog Parks
I must admit, I'm not much of a dog park dog. I prefer a nice chat on a park bench or a picnic lunch under a shady tree.
But, for those who like to romp, the legal exceptions to the leash law are: the “official off-leash hours” on the Boston Common, and inside the fences at dog parks like Peter’s Park in the South End, DeFilippo Park in the North End, and Ronan Park in Dorchester.
Emergency Services
The one bit of guidance you must be sure your humans note is that Angell Animal Medical Center Emergency Services are available, as they say, “… every day of the year, 24 hours each day.” My people have their number on all our cell phones in case of an emergency. And it can't hurt to have your chauffeur practice a drive to the location so he or she will know where you are going in a stressful time. You don't want to be giving the driver directions if you have an upset tummy.
Questions?
If you have questions about living in Boston, have your people send them to my people and I'll try to dig out answers. (I do love to dig.) Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email.
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Words: The Most Noble Duchess Poppy of Whitehead. (Dictated to her humble servants Ed & Penny)
Photography: © 2013-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino
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! Poppy recommended this for times when a dog girl has to stay home alone and might get bored enough to HOWL! We wrote about that toy in this post:
. You can clip it to your belt and the cap becomes a drinking container. Ed carries it in a 
that we've had for ages.
in her backpack so we always have a way to share water with a thirsty dog. You can see Poppy drinking from her Pop-up in the photo below.