FAQ
Frequently asked questions
The things families ask most. Anything we missed, just reach out.
Asking for a friend.
Do I need to do anything before my dog's first visit?
Yes, every new client starts with a free Meet & Greet. From there, a trial visit is required before any regular booking. It is a low-commitment way to make sure your dog is comfortable and happy with us. Getting Started
What are your hours?
Drop-offs and pickups happen within these windows: Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Sunday, 12:00 PM to 4:30 PM. Boarding dogs are with us around the clock; the windows are just for arrivals and departures. Hours & Drop-Off
How does drop-off and pick-up work?
We use a curbside system. Dogs are transferred at the curb, with no entry onto the driveway or property. It keeps things smooth and safe for every dog in our care, and it becomes second nature after your first visit. Hours & Drop-Off
Can I visit or watch my dog play?
We understand the urge, truly, but this one is a polite no. Our operating permit and insurance limit who can be on the property while dogs are in our care, and in fairness to the pack, one new face at the gate winds every dog up at once. You will not miss much: Marian takes photos and videos through the day, and every stay comes with updates. Hours & Drop-Off
Where do dogs sleep?
Wherever they are most comfortable. Dogs have the run of the main level during the day, the living room and kitchen. At night, most settle where they like, from elevated beds to a very popular couch, and crate-trained dogs who sleep best in their own crate are welcome to bring it. Boarding dogs are fed separately, in a crate or behind an x-pen, which keeps mealtimes calm. A baby gate keeps everything to the first floor, and we are home overnight. Getting Started
Do you send photo updates?
Yes. Marian takes photos and videos through the day, and every stay comes with updates, so you see your dog settling in instead of wondering. And if anything ever seems off, we do not wait for a photo update, we reach out right away. Getting Started
Is Paws on Longmeadow licensed and permitted?
Yes. We operate under a Special Permit from the Town of Sharon Zoning Board of Appeals and comply with Massachusetts state kennel licensing requirements. Our property is inspected annually by the Town of Sharon Animal Control Officer. Read about Ollie's Law About the Business
How does payment work?
Payment confirms your booking. Once we confirm your request you'll get a payment link in your portal, where you can pay by bank transfer or card. Check or cash work too, as long as payment is in before the stay. If plans change, any cancellation fee comes out of what you already paid and the rest is refunded. Families with a weekly routine can turn on auto-pay and get one simple weekly summary instead of a receipt for every visit. Booking & Payment
What is your cancellation policy?
Daycare, walks, and drop-ins: free with 24 or more hours' notice. Boarding and house sitting: free with 7 or more days' notice, 14 on peak dates. Inside those windows a fee applies, a no-show is charged in full, and anything cancelled within 4 hours of booking is always free. The full ladder, window by window, is on our Services page. Booking & Payment
What vaccinations does my dog need?
Before the first visit we need a current rabies certificate (the full certificate, per Ollie's Law), a town dog license, the distemper and parvo combination shot (DHPP or DAPP), and Bordetella within the last year. The full list, including what we recommend beyond it, lives on our health requirements page. Health & Vaccination
My vet says my dog does not need all this. Why do you?
Your vet is advising one dog, mostly at home. We are running a small group in a house. The standard follows the environment, not the individual dog. The national veterinary guidance for high-density settings, which explicitly includes boarding and daycare, recommends more than a typical house dog needs. That is the gap you are seeing, and your vet is not wrong. Health & Vaccination
Can you get records from my vet directly?
Usually, yes, and it is often faster than digging through your email. Give us your clinic name and let them know we may call. Most practices will send records over the same day. Health & Vaccination
How do I get a town dog license?
Through your town clerk, and you will need a current rabies certificate to get one. If you have moved recently, the license follows your new town rather than the old one. Sharon licenses run the calendar year and are due in January, online, in person at the Town Clerk's Office, or by mail with your annual town census. There is a grace period into late spring, and the late fees after it are steep, which catches people every year. Other towns run their own schedules, so check your town clerk's page for current fees and dates. Health & Vaccination
My dog just had their shots. Can they come tomorrow?
Give it a little time. A vaccine needs a week or two before it is doing much, so a shot the day before a stay is not really protecting anyone yet. As a rough guide, kennel cough about a week ahead, flu about two weeks, and a distemper and parvo booster about three weeks. If you are up against a deadline, tell us and we will work with what you have. Health & Vaccination
My dog is on monthly prevention. Why do you still want a fecal test?
This one surprises most people. Monthly preventives handle roundworm and hookworm, but they do not cover giardia or coccidia, and those are the two most likely to move through a group sharing a yard. The test is the only way to catch them. When you ask your vet, ask for the one that includes giardia specifically, because the standard version misses it fairly often. Health & Vaccination
Do we really need flea and tick prevention in the winter?
Yes, and this is the one we get pushed back on most. Deer ticks are not killed by cold. They go quiet and come back out on any stretch of days in the forties, which New England now gets all winter. The MSPCA puts it plainly: there is no real start or end to tick season here anymore. Year-round is also what the veterinary parasite guidelines recommend nationally. There is a selfish reason too. We run this out of our house. Fleas in a kennel are a cleaning problem. Fleas in our home are a much longer story. Health & Vaccination
My dog is older, or has a health condition. Does all of this still apply?
The required list still applies, but talk to us. Older dogs and dogs with chronic conditions are often perfectly happy here, and sometimes they are happier with a quieter option like a drop-in visit at home instead of a full day in the group. Your vet should be the one deciding what your dog gets. Our job is to tell you honestly whether the group is the right setting. Health & Vaccination
We just adopted and barely have any paperwork.
Very common, and not a problem. Rescues and shelters vary a lot in what they hand over. Send us whatever you were given, book a first vet visit, and we will tell you what is genuinely missing versus what just needs a piece of paper. Most of the time it is less than people expect. Health & Vaccination
My dog is not spayed or neutered. Can they still come?
Yes. We do not have a blanket rule, which puts us in the minority. We do want to meet your dog first and talk about how they do around other dogs, because intact dogs can change the dynamic of a group in ways that are worth thinking through ahead of time rather than discovering on a Tuesday. Health & Vaccination
I have two dogs. Do you need all of this for both?
Yes, separately for each. Records are per dog, and the two rarely line up on the same schedule. Health & Vaccination
What happens if my dog catches something here?
We will tell you right away, and we will tell every other family whose dog may have been exposed without naming anyone. Then we follow veterinary guidance on who stays home, and we close if closing is what it takes. You will never pay a cancellation fee for a closure we call. We should be straight with you about this. Vaccines cut the risk a lot, but no vaccine is perfect, and any group setting carries some chance of a bug going around. That is exactly why the required list looks the way it does, and why we would rather turn away a dog whose records lapsed than take the chance. Health & Vaccination
My dog has had titer testing instead of boosters.
For distemper and parvo, a positive titer for both works. Send it along the same way you would a vaccination record. It does not work for rabies or kennel cough, and those stay required. Ask us if you want the reasoning. Health & Vaccination
Something is expired and I need care this week.
Tell us. Depending on what it is and what you have booked, there is often a workable answer. House sitting and drop-in visits at your own home have a much shorter list than daycare, because your dog is not mixing with others. Health & Vaccination
Have a question that isn't here?
We would love to hear from you.