No, The Bears Haven’t Invaded. Those Are Bernese Mountain Dogs

This weekend, large fluffs of black fur could be seen all over town after the Bernese Friends Worldwide facebook group finished their annual meetup at East End Beach.

With upwards of 25 identical-looking dogs gathering with their owners to mingle, fetch, and sit for treats, the beach was covered in the famously large and lumbering beasts. The Bernese Mountain Dog breed was originally intended to pull farm wagons and carry heavy loads. Now, all they're doing is pining for ear scratches and sitting on their owners' feet.

The meet-up was organized by Jennifer Hall of Bernese Friends Worldwide, who is also a member of Maine Berners, a local group who swap pictures, videos, advice and stories online in addition to occasional meet-ups in town. Bernese Mountain Dog owners may be very into their animals (yours truly included) but if you were at the meet-up you'd understand why. With tons of identical feather-duster tails waving high and slow through the air, you'd be hard-pressed to find a face that wasn't beaming on that beach.