SEARSPORT (Aug 17): Searsport Shores campers, visitors and their dogs gathered Aug. 14 for the grand opening of what proprietor Astrig Tanguay dubbed, "The Dog Aquarium at Searsport Shores."

Tanguay and her husband, Steve, built the fenced-in dog run several weeks ago as a place for larger dogs to stretch out off-leash and for smaller dogs to roll in the grass without a leash.

Campers and their dogs pose for a group photo before the grand opening. (Image courtesy of robertboydphotography.com)

Astrig Tanguay cuts the ribbon at the opening of Searsport Shores' new dog park. (Photo by Ethan Andrews)

Nan Penley of West Paris with her "dog" Wiener. "I adopted him from the freezer," she said. Wiener mysteriously disappeared shortly after this photo was taken. (Photo by Ethan Andrews)

Steve Tanguay ushers dogs and their owners into the park. (Photo by Ethan Andrews)

Yellow lab Kinsey chews a stick while Spenser and Sam play, as Robert, Kristen and Laura Boyd look on. (Photo by Ethan Andrews)

In years past, dogs that came along on family camping trips were mostly limited to small breeds, said Tanguay. More recently, she said, people have been bringing large, athletic dogs that aren't suited to being on a leash all day.

"When people say, 'we have dogs with a combined weight of 20 pounds ...' We want dogs with a combined weight of 90 lbs," she said, laughing.

Logan Bard plays fetch with yellow labs Kinsey and Sam and black lab Spenser. (Photo by Ethan Andrews)

Kaitlin Boyd and Ryan Harding give water to yellow labs Kinsey and Sam. Nathan Boyd is at left. Wendy Bell holds the leashes of her dogs Kinsey and black lab Spenser. (Photo by Ethan Andrews)

Devin and Camden Bard play fetch with Spenser and Kinsey. (Image courtesy of robertboydphotography.com)

All apeared to enjoy the dog run on opening day, and the Tanguays served up hamburgers and hot dogs for the occasion.

Little dogs grooved at the perimeter near the entrance while a pair of yellow labs and a pair of black labs ranged over the half-acre run, sprinting, wrestling, fetching sticks, chewing, slobbering, marking their new digs and generally making themselves at home.
 It was clearly a day for the big dogs.

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