Company demands bizarre payment for customers requesting replacements

A puzzle factory’s exhibit has gained attention for its unique tribute to a common problem—what happens when your pet gets hold of a puzzle piece?

In a special section of the Liberty Puzzle Factory in Boulder, Colorado, sits an infamous “wall of shame” filled with pictures of pets who have committed the ultimate crime in the eyes of puzzle lovers everywhere—consuming or mutilating precious puzzle pieces.

Elle, a puzzle fan from Austin, Texas, was delighted by the exhibit during a visit, capturing a picture and sharing it on Reddit, where thousands of people have subsequently been left in stitches.

“I thought it was hilarious and spent a good amount of time looking at it. I received permission to snap a picture. I wanted to share it with Reddit because I thought it would bring joy to anyone who saw it,” Elle told Newsweek.

Established in 2005, Liberty Puzzles creates wooden jigsaw puzzles inspired by a history of family memories enjoying puzzles together. Newsweek reached out to Liberty Puzzles via email.

To combat the aftermath of puzzle piece plundering, Liberty Puzzle Factory has devised a novel approach. Instead of the traditional payment for replacement pieces, the factory encourages affected customers to send in a snapshot of their puzzle-pilfering pet. It’s a whimsical exchange, turning the calamity into a heartwarming display of pet antics.

The Wall of Shame boasts a montage of mischievous pets caught in the act. Elle revealed it was “mostly dogs,” although she did notice one fish.

“The workers did not know the story of the goldfish, unfortunately, because it’s been around longer than most of them have worked there,” Elle said.

After sharing a picture of the wall on Reddit’s r/mildlyinteresting subreddit, it gained more than 29,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments.

One commenter called it “criminally adorable,” while another suggested: “They should make a puzzle of the wall of shame.”

It wasn’t just animals on the wall either, other examples of things that appeared to have maimed a puzzle piece were an automatic vacuum, a washer and even Game of Thrones character Cersei, for reasons unknown.

“While I figured I would get some reaction to it, I did not expect this level of attention. I’m glad to bring so many people joy and, in doing so, shine a light on a small business,” Elle said. “The Liberty Puzzle Factory deserves all the recognition it can get. The puzzles are works of art.”