Rowley Animal Hospital

06/01/2026

Congratulations to Evie Plomondon, our June Pet of the Month!

05/25/2026

Thank you to those who sacrificed all. Our thoughts are with you this Memorial Day 🇺🇲🦅

05/25/2026

Pet of the month voting is open!

Click through all of the photos and vote by liking your favorites. The photo with the most likes by midnight Sunday 5/31/26 will be our pet of the month for June!

Please share this post to have friends and family vote!

05/25/2026

Puppy tips, socialization.
Many have the idea that "socializing" means making puppies have numerous play dates going to numerous, heavily populated events. That is not necessarily the case. Puppies need exposure to different things, yes, but it doesn't mean they need to be in numerous, overwhelming situations. You definitely want to be sure puppy has a chance to be on a variety of walking surfaces, hear a variety of sounds and see different sites. Be sure these are started in controlled situations. Luckily, we have a few local establishments that allow dogs such as the Essex Co op and Tractor Supply. Pet Smart and Petco also allow dogs. Going to these places can be excellent exposure but there are things to consider.
- is your pup up to it. Knowing the nature of your pup is important. Some may need experiences closer to home before bringing them to a store. Others may be more confident.
- go prepared. Bring high value treats. Have p**p bags in case of an accident. Be sure to potty your pup outside (and clean up any 💩) before going in.
- be sure pup is wearing a secure collar or harness. Do NOT use flexi leads. These give you no control and can be dangerous to pets and humans.
- be patient and be aware. You want your pup to have a positive experience. Don't be afraid to advocate for you pup if you feel they're over stimulated. Just because you're in public does not give people the right to interact with your pup. You have every right to say no if you feel the situation is not okay.

Today, Faolán went to the Co op in Topsfield. It was a bit busy but not crowded. Faolán has already seen quite a bit since we had to drive home from Wisconsin and that meant an overnight in a hotel as well as many rest stops. He was certainly curious about going into the store especially as this time of year there are lots of items outside. He checked out the various garden supplies and decorations. Inside, we walked past the chicks being sure to respect their space. Just because they're there doesn't mean puppy needs to be close to them, we don't want to stress them. We roamed through the aisles of the dog/ cat wing which is a great place to practice training. We worked on leash walking and sitting with lots of distracting things on the shelves. There were two dogs in the store while we were there. One was a large working breed that I chose to give wide berth. The dog was under perfect control and behaving appropriately but it was not a situation I felt would be best for my dog. The other was a medium sized mixed breed that was also acting very appropriate and Faolán expressed interest. I allowed him to have a brief interaction then moved along.
We purchased a couple items and interacted with a couple of cashiers. The staff there is excellent and ask if they can offer treats which I allowed. If you are not comfortable having their treats you can always give them your treats for them to feed to your pup.
We had a very nice visit and the best part is these types of outings is actually a lot of brain work which means a sleepy puppy.
These outings take planning and patience but are huge in helping puppies develop the ability to go out and about quietly. Being able to go to a pet friendly location and to walk politely and interact appropriately without pulling, dragging, and barking at humans and pets is the sign of a well socialized dog.

05/22/2026

The photo submission period for June pet of the month ends Sunday night. Still time to send pictures of your pet!

EDIT: click on messenger under our contact information

It's time to submit for pet of the month for June! Here's how to submit your photo:
Do NOT post photos on this thread they will not be eligible for submission. Only submit 1 photo per owner per month, only pet/pets, MUST be submitted through FACEBOOK MESSENGER.
You must be a current client to enter and client can only win once per calendar year (clients that win can still submit each month and if happen to win again will go to the second pet with the most likes).

*Please include pet's name(s) & owner's name. *

Submission time starts now and goes through the day May 24th.
Once we have photos collected during the submission time they will be placed in a post on this page.
Be sure to encourage your friends to vote for your photo! The photo with the most likes will be chosen as our pet of the month!

05/22/2026

Want a night off from cooking and be able to help a great group of kids? Check out this fundraiser for the Argos 4H dog club. These kids earn ALL of the money needed for their dog training and activities.

Our vet tech volunteers with this club and can attest to how wonderful these kids are. Please consider helping them out!

Thanks!

05/22/2026

Rowley Animal Hospital will be closed Monday May 25th to honor Memorial Day.
Wishing all of our valued clients a safe holiday.
Thank you to all who served.
🦅🇺🇲

05/20/2026

Puppy tips

Housebreaking. This is probably the most troublesome phase for most people. Puppies are exhausting for sure! Housebreaking means you will be doing a lot of running puppy outside. Keeping puppy in a smaller area can help as well.

Rule of thumb is take puppy out frequently. Ideally, when they first wake up in the morning, after eating, after playing, after waking up from a nap, and right before bedtime. Essentially taking them out every 30 minutes to an hour during the day depending on the age.

You need to be very in tune watching your puppy. If they've been playing and suddenly lose interest, take them out. If you see them starting to sniff around (don't wait too long, some potty without a lot of sniffing first, ask my husband how he found that out! ) run then outside.

When they go outside use the same door and go to the same location. Do not play with them, just ignore them until they go. Once they are done you can praise them and reward them with a little play or a little treat. If you put a word to the function they are doing, they will learn it after a time. Pottying to a word can be very handy, especially if you're in a hurry.

If you need to cook or get some work done in the house, having a puppy area is really helpful. What I have set up is an ex pen attached to a crate, the pen is set on a large, washable p*e pad. This will reduce your cleaning if there is an accident while you are busy. Having this area gives the puppy a space they can have some down time and they are safe. They can't get into anything to cause damage and the pad is there to protect flooring.

If they have an accident don't punish them, that will make them fear you. They are like a child potty training, they're trying to understand what you want. Simply take puppy outside and clean it up with a good pet accident cleaner to reduce odors that can attract them to the area.

It may take time but it will happen if you're diligent!

05/20/2026

Please keep an eye on your pets during the weekend festivities. Things can happen fast when humans are busy with guests.

As people prepare to fire up the grill and host gatherings this Memorial Day weekend, just a few reminders about how you can keep your pets safe as you celebrate.