There are three dog festivals happening in Maine this weekend!  Two are in Portland, and one is in Freeport, and proceeds from all of them will go to lending a helping paw to animals in need.

Ales for Tails: Join the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland (ARLGP) for Maine’s only dog-friendly beer festival, Ales for Tails!  The fun takes place on Saturday, August 25, 2018 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Thompson’s Point (1 Thompson Point Road, Portland, ME), and features locally-brewed beers, food truck delicacies, music, and activities for dogs.  For the humans there will be 23 local brewers participating, and Starbucks will be whipping up foamy puppachinos for the four-legged attendees.  There will also be pet related local vendors and businesses.

Admission to Ales for Tails is $35 (+processing fees) per person in advance, and $50 day of at the event.  Each admission includes (8) 4.5 ounce tasting tickets for the brewer booths.  Tickets for those under 21 is $10.  Well behaved dogs are welcome to attend at no additional cost.  There is however an additional parking fee of $5 per car to park at Thompson’s Point.  PLEASE NOTE: the Ales for Tails usually sells out in advance.  Pre-purchasing your ticket is strongly encouraged, so you don’t miss any tail wagging fun at this rain or shine event.  For the complete list of brewers who will be participating, and to purchase your tickets, please visit the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland Ales for Tails.  Proceeds from Ales for Tails will directly support the 5,000+ homeless and displaced animals the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland cares for every year.

Dog Days of August at LL Bean: Make a splash at the Dog Days of August sponsored by LL Bean and featuring a Dock Dogs competition.  The weekend festivities step off on Saturday, August 25, at 8:00 AM with Save a Stray 5K race to benefit the Coastal Humane Society.  Then spend the day enjoying all the activities from canine contests, to a session with animal communicator Judy Garbow, to your chance to meet Game Warden Kris MacCabe and K9 Morgan from “North Woods Law!”  However, the biggest highlight of the day will be watching the Dock Dogs diving competition taking place both Saturday, August 25, and continuing on Sunday, August 26, 2018 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.  The event is FREE, but there are fees to participate in the 5K and Dock Diving.  For the complete schedule, and information on how to register for the individual events, please visit Dog Days of August at LL Bean.

Pet Rock the Park: Take a bite out of pet cancer at a fun-filled day of live music dedicated to raising money to support the efforts of the Animal Cancer Foundation!  The 8th Annual Pet Rock in the Park will be taking place this Sunday, August 26, 2018 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM in Deering Oaks Park (161 Forest Avenue, Portland, ME).  Performing this year will be the Time Pilots, a 6-piece dance party band who cover everything from Frank Sinatra to Reggae; Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, dedicated to the great front women of the ’80s; and The Substitutes, Maine’s own vintage rock band of the ’60s and ’70s.  In addition to the live music there will be animal demonstrations, food vendors, pet products and services.  There will also be animal shelters and rescue organizations with animals available for adoption.

Hosted by Portland Veterinary Specialists, Pet Rock the Park is FREE, with proceeds to benefit the Animal Cancer Foundation.  The Animal Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to finding a cure for cancer by funding research in and increasing public awareness of comparative oncology, the study of naturally occurring cancers in people and pets.  Since 1999, the American Cancer Foundation has funded cooperative research initiatives to accelerate development of new therapies, and to bring together researchers across disciplines and species to share information.  For more information about this free festival dedicated to pets, rock n’ roll, and taking a bite out of animal cancers, please visit Pet Rock in the Park.