Help, I’m Obsessed With These Dog Puzzles

If you’re anything like us, you’ve been wondering where all the time goes lately… and the answer is unsurprisingly TikTok, and Instagram and Twitter, and texting—you get the point. Our phones have control over our brains, Big Brother is watching us, and he’s laughing. How did we even converse before every sentence started with “Did you see that TikTok?” Oh that’s right—we used our brains and did things like puzzles and charades.

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Speaking of puzzles, if you’re looking for a low-commitment hobby to yank you out of your technology-induced ennui, we highly recommend the double dose of serotonin you get from painstakingly reconstructing images in the form of puzzling, and specifically, we’re currently obsessed with Mesa Puzzles. Not only will you feel joy from participating in an “analog” hobby, but you will also get to know the brand’s iconic group of dog pals that roam NYC fighting crime and sniffing butts (OK, they don’t fight crime, but they do look cute as hell, which is the same, but diff).

Mesa refers to itself as “the only puzzles on the planet featuring a tight-knit group of dog friends,” and if you’d like to get to know each of those dogs as individuals—Max, Millie, Gambit, Louise, Effy, Alfie, and Gertie make up the BK Dog Pack—you can read their bios on Mesa’s site, including their likes, dislikes, hometowns and birthdays. The gang has been busy—sunbathing in Brooklyn Bridge Park, binging on pastries in Boerum Hill, and hanging out on stoops in Cobble Hill—all while looking incredibly photogenic. While “there are a ton of gorgeous puzzles out there,” says Mesa, “we wanted to offer the world a collection that’s a little sillier, a little weirder, and a lot furrier.” Mission accomplished—catch us pretending to be the pack’s favorite dog walker as we assemble our four-legged squad into one stunning image, which you can then frame to show friends you have good taste and can actually complete a puzzle.

You can buy all three scenes individually, or in a bundle saving you $20. Plus, Mesa donates a portion of sales to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Cue “In the Arms of an Angel”.

We can only speak for ourselves, but the one of the few things that consistently boosts our mood is dogs, and unless you have a pet of your own, it’s frowned upon to just walk into a dog park, lay down, and let a flurry of slobbery kisses rain down upon you. So we’re going with the next best thing, which is puzzling together images of our new doggo BFFs on exciting outings throughout New York City. If you want to get puzzin’, VICE readers can save 15% when they use promo code VICE15.

Mesa Puzzles are available at MesaPuzzles.com

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