This Maine-Made Tick-Repelling Vest for Your Dog Might Be the Savior of Summer

It's finally nice out in Maine! Time to grab the beach chair, head for the car, remember that Pine Point Beach is going to be jammed today, give up, and set it up on your front lawn for a little DIY sunbathing. Don't zone out completely, though! You'll need to be on the lookout for our least favorite part of summer - ticks!

Given our mild winter and wet spring, news outlets all around the state like the Bangor Daily News have predicted that this will be a particularly bad season for both mosquitos and ticks. And, as much as we don't like admitting it, our dogs play a pretty big role in bringing ticks into our homes.

It's the original Maine summer dilemma - we want man's best friend to be able to roam freely, but have to deal with the consequences of finding a tick on us every now and again. Fortunately for our furry friends, though, a company based here in Maine, called Dog Not Gone Visibility Products, has a new product that could have them covered through the warmer months. Just in time for Hops and Hounds!

The above video, from YouTube user Jody Hartman, shows her dog, a yellow lab named Stella, testing out a Dog Not Gone tick-repelling vest. The vest was put through an adorable and rigorous test, and seemed to do the trick just fine. For more information about Dog Not Gone, visit their website.

Once you have a good tick repellent for your dog, be sure to check out Hops and Hounds this Saturday from Noon-5 at Raitt Farm in Eliot! Get your tickets, which are only $5, here.