Pet Services in Marblehead

Fenway Bark Stay. Play. Heal. pampers pets in a responsibly led facility where a trained staff at an attentive 1:15 ratio keeps canines happy, healthy, and safe, earning it a spot on Fido Friendly's Best of 2011 dog-destination list. For overnight stays, dogs check in to a variety of roomy lodgings that swaddle fur with fresh options, entertain eyes with cable TV and sprawling views of the play yard and bone-shaped pool, and ease owners' minds with Skype webcam access. Paws scamper indoors over antimicrobial grass, frolicking with those of peers who have been vetted by the staff for exemplary social behavior, exhibited by friendly interaction and promptly sent thank-you cards.

Fenway Bark's onsite boutique outfits pups with gourmet treats, fashionable accessories, and toys such as naturally shed antlers, and trained veterinary technicians heal fidos suffering from hip dysplasia, obesity, and other ailments. Regular K9 Klatch social events congregate doggie parents and their barking broods for caffeine-fueled conversations about the best way to teach a dog to sit, drive, or properly use a french press.

At A Fox & Hounds Pet Care, four-legged friends lap up first-rate treatment from a team of dedicated, nurturing pup professionals. Tailored to each pet's needs, services range from full-time daycare and overnight lodging to training programs for dogs both young and old. Inside, furry visitors bound across 6,000 square feet of climate-controlled, cage-free space, and outdoors, the large, fenced-in play yard's special pet grass allows for quick drainage and prevents pooches from tunneling out and running away to the frisbee factory. The day care's special-needs areas can also accommodate animals that are shy or recovering from injuries.

While still learning how to walk on their own, Legacy Stables owners Michael Murphy and Elizabeth Vaughan Murphy began learning how to ride horses. The two both grew up around horses, and they apply their lifelong knowledge of horseback riding with students during training and lessons in saddle-seat, hunter-seat, Western, and driving styles. During lessons, students are introduced to the stable's fleet of morgan horses, which are known to be one of the oldest and most versatile breeds in North America. The compassionate instructors lead lessons for both beginner and advanced riders, as well as small children who learn basic steering and methods of riding a horse without training wheels.

At South Shore Equestrian Center, students of all skill levels trot atop well-trained steeds during private, semiprivate, and group lessons. Before lessons, an instructor pairs each student with an appropriate horse, usually the one that perches on the student's outstretched arm. Then, the instructor—who is licensed, insured, and possesses more than 20 years of experience—walks the class through the basics of horsemanship including feeding, handling, brushing and grooming, riding, jumping, and showing. Subsequent lessons delve deeper into different riding styles such as English hunt seat and Western horse thief.

South Shore Equestrian Center houses a riding ring, field, and sandy practice corrals to give students a more comprehensive and realistic sense of how it feels to ride. The training staff leads more advanced sessions for serious riders, as well as horse-lease programs and discounted practice ride sessions for students who wish to compete and travel without personally owning a horse.

Jack's specializes in all-natural and love-infused gourmet dog treats for hungry hounds and discerning dachshunds. Gift a greyhound a packet of Cesar’s Pizza Pies ($6.50)—miniature, pizza-flavored treats made on organic whole-wheat pastry flour—and watch the famished beast feast on the fresh oregano- and olive-oil-sprinkled treat, or satisfy a squirrel-chasing schnauzer with a packet of squirrel-shaped, peanut-butter-infused Jack’s Nuts About Squirrels ($6.50). If Jack's extensive display of doggy delicacies inspires your culinary creativity, grab a jar of Jack’s Favorite Snack ($11.95), a take-home mix that comes with step-by-step instructions and a bone-shaped cookie cutter so you can serve up your terrier’s favorite treat fresh from the oven.

After nearly getting his teeth kicked in by an errant hoof, Stephen Briggs decided that it was probably a good time to walk away from his rodeo career. Bidding his favorite rodeo clowns goodbye, Stephen joined the family business started by his father, Frederick Alvin Briggs—called "Allie" by his customers—more than 30 years ago.

Continuing in his father's footsteps, Stephen now oversees Allie's Store, where his team supplies horse tack, Western and work apparel, and supplies for creatures that range from farm animals to pets. Under Stephen's leadership, Allie's Store now also stocks all-natural animal foods, due to increased customer requests for healthier food for their pets. The shelves display bagged edibles from lines such as Earthborn Holistic and Blue Buffalo. This is the same food the Briggs family feeds its own pets—two dogs, two cats, and four horses named Jessie, Oso, Buddy, and Hoss who exchange local gossip with customers at the adjacent barn.