Tag: animal care and control

Duchess Poppy Welcomes New Boston Dogs and Fills Them in on What They Need to Know!

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 to your leash.

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 or halter when he escorts me around the pond.

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.

Get to know all of the wonderful Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

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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September 18, 2016
Duchess Poppy Welcomes New Boston Dogs with What They Need to Know!

Duchess Poppy Whitehead here! (Once we're friends, you can call me Poppy.)

Lately, I've been sniffing up with a lot of new members of the Boston Canine Court. So I thought I might 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 to your leash.

Even if your people use recycled bags to do the majority of clean ups, the roll will give them a back up supplies 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 or halter when he escorts me around the pond.

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.

Get to know all of the wonderful Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

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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Elevator Etiquette & Safety: A Sunday Dog Alert

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September 6, 2015
Duchess Poppy Welcomes New Boston Dogs with What They Need to Know!

Duchess Poppy Whitehead here! (Once we're friends, you can call me Poppy.)

Lately, I've been sniffing up with a lot of new members of the Boston Canine Court. So I thought I might 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 to your leash.

Even if your people use recycled bags to do the majority of clean ups, the roll will give them a back up supplies 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 or halter when he escorts me around the pond.

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.

Get to know all of the wonderful Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: The Most Noble Duchess Poppy of Whitehead. (Dictated to her humble servants Ed & Penny)
Photography: © 2013-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Elevator Etiquette & Safety: A Sunday Dog Alert

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September 6, 2015
Changes in Boston Dog Licensing for 2015

We decided that all the changes around the topic of Boston dog licensing this year made a weekday post the best way to get the information out to our widest audience. If you have a dog or have friends with dogs that count on you for information from social media, here's what you need to know.

This postcard from Inspectional Services arrived in our mailbox this week. We already have our dog license because we applied online when our own annual reminder came up on our calendar on March 1st.

No form and no return envelope were supplied with this mailing. An increased fee was announced effective May 1st but I was already charged this fee in March. And, no mention was made of the department's move to 1010 Massachusetts Avenue that you will learn about below.

As we said in one of our Sunday Dog posts, "Massachusetts law requires that all dogs be licensed with their city or town by April 1st of each year. To apply, you must have proof of a current rabies vaccination.

"Normally, Boston officials send out packages reminding people with dogs to renew. I called Animal Care and Control to check if the mailing had gone out and found that it's been delayed this year and that the city of Boston plans to delay enforcement.

"I don't know what this does if you are in another city or town with your dog, since it's a state law that requires a license. Better apply online today and I would carry a copy of the receipt from the city until your tag arrives. Then, you would have something to show if you are stopped."

Apply & Pay Online

Here's the link to apply for a dog license in Boston. (Check your city or town to see if it offers this convenient service.)

Here is a copy of the application if you want to mail it. Download 2015 dog License Application.

Animal Care and Control is Moving

If you want to apply in person, you should know that the Animal Care and Control department is moving. Here is the city's announcement on that.

"2015 Dog licensing notes: We're Moving!

Effective March 30, 2015– the administrative office of Animal Care and Control will be moved to 1010 Mass Ave. Boston, MA 02118. The Animal Care and Control Animal Shelter will remain at it's current location, 26 Mahler Rd. Roslindale, MA 02131. Thank you for your patience during our transition."

Facebook Instead of information on the City site

When we searched for information about low cost rabies clinics on the city site, we found only a stale 2014 list.

Apparently the department is now using Facebook to announce important information like this.

That's not great for those who try to avoid this particular social media outlet and silly since not all items posted there will be seen by the people who are following the page. What is shown to each individual is up to Facebook.

"All posts from pages you 'Liked' are not showing up in your Facebook news feed. Only 10% of you will see posts unless page administrators pay to promote them. Since pages like ours are run exclusively by volunteers, we do not have a budget to pay for advertising." More here.

You'll also notice that this is a much shorter list of clinics. Five are listed here, while there were fourteen scheduled last year.

Editorial Page!

Early on, we had hopes that this administration would be dog friendly when we heard that the department was renamed Animal Care and Control and was moved under the direction of Human Services and Felix Arroyo.

Now, it seems it has been put under Inspectional Services, a department historically understaffed and with a record of less than user friendly performance. This is all very disappointing. Lets hope the city gets its act together, schedules more clinics, and puts more CARE and COMMON SENSE into services for people who have animals.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino with screenshots from the city outlets.

March 30, 2015
Changes in Boston Dog Licensing for 2015

We decided that all the changes around the topic of Boston dog licensing this year made a weekday post the best way to get the information out to our widest audience. If you have a dog or have friends with dogs that count on you for information from social media, here's what you need to know.

This postcard from Inspectional Services arrived in our mailbox this week. We already have our dog license because we applied online when our own annual reminder came up on our calendar on March 1st.

No form and no return envelope were supplied with this mailing. An increased fee was announced effective May 1st but I was already charged this fee in March. And, no mention was made of the department's move to 1010 Massachusetts Avenue that you will learn about below.

As we said in one of our Sunday Dog posts, "Massachusetts law requires that all dogs be licensed with their city or town by April 1st of each year. To apply, you must have proof of a current rabies vaccination.

"Normally, Boston officials send out packages reminding people with dogs to renew. I called Animal Care and Control to check if the mailing had gone out and found that it's been delayed this year and that the city of Boston plans to delay enforcement.

"I don't know what this does if you are in another city or town with your dog, since it's a state law that requires a license. Better apply online today and I would carry a copy of the receipt from the city until your tag arrives. Then, you would have something to show if you are stopped."

Apply & Pay Online

Here's the link to apply for a dog license in Boston. (Check your city or town to see if it offers this convenient service.)

Here is a copy of the application if you want to mail it. Download 2015 dog License Application.

Animal Care and Control is Moving

If you want to apply in person, you should know that the Animal Care and Control department is moving. Here is the city's announcement on that.

"2015 Dog licensing notes: We're Moving!

Effective March 30, 2015– the administrative office of Animal Care and Control will be moved to 1010 Mass Ave. Boston, MA 02118. The Animal Care and Control Animal Shelter will remain at it's current location, 26 Mahler Rd. Roslindale, MA 02131. Thank you for your patience during our transition."

Facebook Instead of information on the City site

When we searched for information about low cost rabies clinics on the city site, we found only a stale 2014 list.

Apparently the department is now using Facebook to announce important information like this.

That's not great for those who try to avoid this particular social media outlet and silly since not all items posted there will be seen by the people who are following the page. What is shown to each individual is up to Facebook.

"All posts from pages you 'Liked' are not showing up in your Facebook news feed. Only 10% of you will see posts unless page administrators pay to promote them. Since pages like ours are run exclusively by volunteers, we do not have a budget to pay for advertising." More here.

You'll also notice that this is a much shorter list of clinics. Five are listed here, while there were fourteen scheduled last year.

Editorial Page!

Early on, we had hopes that this administration would be dog friendly when we heard that the department was renamed Animal Care and Control and was moved under the direction of Human Services and Felix Arroyo.

Now, it seems it has been put under Inspectional Services, a department historically understaffed and with a record of less than user friendly performance. This is all very disappointing. Lets hope the city gets its act together, schedules more clinics, and puts more CARE and COMMON SENSE into services for people who have animals.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino with screenshots from the city outlets.

March 30, 2015
Poppy Says, “Time to Get a Dog License!”

Massachusetts law requires that all dogs be licensed with their city or town by April 1st of each year. To apply, you must have proof of a current rabies vaccination.

Normally, Boston officials send out packages reminding people with dogs to renew. I called Animal Care and Control to check if the mailing had gone out and found that it's been delayed this year and that the city of Boston plans to delay enforcement.

I don't know what this does if you are in another city or town with your dog, since it's a state law that requires a license. Better apply online or call the contact number at Animal Care to ask that a license package be sent to you now.

I put a reminder on my calendar on March 1st and have already applied online and received Poppy's Boston dog license. Here's the link for Boston. (Check your city or town to see if it offers this convenient service.)

My Poppy was already registered, so I typed in her current license number and all my information was filled in by the system. I uploaded a photo of her spay certificate and one of her current rabies record. Then I entered my credit card information and completed the transaction. The cost this year in Boston for a spayed dog is $16, including a one dollar processing fee.

When her license arrived, we scanned it and put a copy in Dropbox so that both Ed and I always have access to it on our phones. The tag was added to Poppy's ID set.

On a side note, Poppy would like to thank the person who cleared this park bench for her. She loves benches.

Low Cost Rabies Clinics

From the Facebook Page for the City of Boston Animal Care and Control, here is a list of the times and places where you can get a low cost rabies vaccination. The following information was given in two posts.

Fees:

"The fees for the rabies clinics are:
$5 for the rabies shot for Boston Residents
$10 for non-Boston Residents

License fees:
$15 for Spayed/Neutered Dogs
$30 for non-fixed Dogs"

Clinics:

"Saturday April 4th 10am-2pm
Codman Square BCYF Perkins Community Center
155 Talbot Ave

Saturday May 2nd 10am-2pm
East Boston BCYF Martin Pino Community Center
86 Boardman St

Saturday May 9th 10am-2pm
West Roxbury BCYF Roche Family Community Center
1716 Centre St

Saturday May 16th 10am-2pm
South Boston BCYF Condon Community Center
200 D St

Tuesday September 22nd 4pm-8pm
City of Boston Animal Care and Control
26 Mahler Rd"

Update 04.14.15 Since we didn't see any improvement in the list or access to information about low cost rabies clinics in Boston we hunted down this list from the state.

Why Should You Get a Dog License?

We've said it before and now we are saying it again. A license is proof that your dog has had a rabies shot. That's important to anyone who might have to help you find a lost dog or treat a hurt one.

It's really important to let the city know how many dogs live here and should be considered when the politicians do their planning and spend our money. Getting everyone to license their dogs will send a message. So, stand up and be counted!

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny Cherubino

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March 15, 2015
Welcome to Boston Dog Lovers: What You Need to Know…

Each year around this time, we welcome a pack of new pups to the city. We have checked the links and updated this post for 2017.

Now that most of the families with dogs have settled into their Boston homes, we want to say hello and help them find out what they need to know about having a dog in Boston.

Miss Maudie was less then 6-months-old when she posed for this photo.

Legal Matters

Massachusetts state law requires that any dog more than 6-months-old must be licensed. In Boston, you can pick up a license at City Hall or download an application online from the Animal Care and Control page on the city website.

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.

Felix prefers a leather leash or halter for his walks around the Back Bay.

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 and Ronan Park in Dorchester.

One more interesting aspect of Boston’s dog rules is that while out with your pup, if asked, you must be able to show that you are carrying something to pick up dog waste. This makes city dog walks a prime reason to attach a roll of pick-up bags to your leash.

Even if you use recycled bags to do the majority of your clean ups, the roll will give you back up supplies if you are stopped after your dog’s business is done, but the walk isn’t.

Emercency Services

The one bit of guidance we do give to any dog family is that Angell Animal Medical Center Emergency Services are available, as they say, “…every day of the year, 24 hours each day.” We keep their number on our cell phones in case of an emergency. And, it can't hurt to take a ride to the location so you will know where you are going in a stressful time.

On upcoming Sundays, we'll fill you in on a few more things you might like to know about taking care of, and having fun with, your dog in Boston. And, if you have a great Sunday Dog you'd like us to feature, let us know in the comments below.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino (Some of this material was previously published in Penny's City Paws newspaper column.)
Photography: © 2013-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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Elevator Etiquette & Safety: A Sunday Dog Alert

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