Tails on the Trail
by Owen Wadlington
UNE English Major / GWRLT Intern
Dozens of community members, and even more puppy ambassadors beside them, joined Great Works Regional Land Trust (GWRLT) and 3 Dogs Rescue on Sunday November 16th for Tails on the Trail 2025. The event was held at the famously scenic Negutaquet Conservation Area in Berwick and consisted of a crisp late-autumn Maine afternoon of beautiful dog walks through Negutaquet, puppy interactions, delicious hot apple cider, and an opportunity to learn more about the importance of conservation and dog fostering. More than forty people got bundled up warm on a cold day and took part in the fundraiser that supported both GWRLT and 3 Dogs Rescue.
Tails on the Trail is a prime example of the shared core values that connect both organizations: protecting and giving animals here in Maine a second chance: Whether those animals are local salmon, rabbit, or deer populations out in the forests that GWRLT preserves, or whether they’re puppies and kittens that need a chance to go to a new home that 3 Dogs organizes for them. Tails on the Trail gave anyone the chance to participate in the humanistic endeavor.
I got to take part in the event by helping greet local community members as they arrived, directing them to where they could sign in, and pointing out where along the extensive, beautiful trailways they’d be able to go with their dogs.
From five-pound Chihuahuas to ninety-five-pound Tibetan Mastiffs, there was a menagerie of canines from start to finish.
Most of the dogs that attended their human friends for the hike were already adopted into loving families, but I also got to meet several dogs that were up for adoption such as Chloe, a five-month-old Anatolian Shepherd who might have just been about the single sweetest, most loving puppy that I’d ever met in my whole life.
GWRLT’s own VIP greeter, Molly the yellow lab, also attended the event. Molly was adopted through the 3 Dogs Rescue organization and is a testament to the kind of heartwarming success stories that come out of dog fostering and adoption.
When the initial rush of excited dog owners and dog lovers subsided, I had the opportunity to walk the trails myself. I walked the big Perimeter Trail, and the Oval Trail on the interior of the preserve and encountered countless amounts of puppies along the way. Everyone was incredibly friendly, and not to mention excited to be getting their dogs out to socialize with other canine friends and stretch their legs along the trail.
One group I encountered was a young father and his son, along with their dog Nova, who were new to the Southern Maine area and expressed how excited they were that there were organizations like 3 Dogs and GWRLT that organized events like these. Small encounters like I had with that family serve as a prescient reminder that even in times when the seasons get colder and the trees shed their leaves, there’s still an endless amount of warmth to be found in bringing a community together for an event like Tails on the Trail.
Near the end of the event, I had the chance to speak with Jen, a representative and team member at 3 Dogs. We chatted about how exciting the event was, and I asked her what she thought the biggest takeaway about Tails on the Trail should be. She told me, “It’s about the dogs, and getting them to good homes. Events like these are about connecting dogs and people”.
GWRLT is proud to be able to offer so many trails like Negutaquet and others to both dog owners and their canine companions. But please remember it’s important to always make sure you check the trailhead and ensure that the trails you want to walk with your dog are pet friendly. The land trust also asks that you be a responsible dog owner by leaving no trace and picking up after your dog.
Tails on the Trail 2025 blended outdoor fun, puppies, and purpose. It handily achieved its goal of bringing together important undertakings, such as land stewardship and animal rescue, and providing a fun Sunday outing to many Mainers.
In the end Tails on the Trail succeeded in bringing dogs to much needed homes, like Chloe who was adopted by one of GWRLT’s own staff Jane and started her first day at the office this past Thursday. GWRLT and 3 Dogs Rescue extend their thanks to everyone who joined the celebration and helped support the event.