Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

While out on her usual rounds, animal control officer Priscilla Wolcott of Fresno Humane Animal Services was approached by a concerned passerby. The stranger told her about dogs in desperate need of help at an abandoned property nearby. According to them, there were two adult dogs and a litter of puppies hiding under an old…

While walking along a quiet canyon trail in Mission Viejo, California, a man named Jake paused when he heard something unexpected echoing through the still air — soft, high-pitched grunts coming from an old, empty pool tucked beside the path. City of Mission Viejo “At first, I didn’t realize what I was hearing,” Jake told…

While hiking up Piestewa Peak in Phoenix the other morning, Jacqueline Hurst spotted something moving quietly among the rocks — a flash of motion that instantly caught her attention. At first, she wasn’t sure what she was seeing. But then, it hit her. “Then I saw that unmistakable, beautiful tail,” Hurst told The Dodo. Jacqueline…

As Emilie Brooks went about her day, something out of the corner of her eye made her stop in her tracks. Clinging to the frame of a nearby window was a tiny orange kitten, all alone and barely holding on. “Is that what I think it is?” she whispered in disbelief, capturing the moment on…

Peanut is a playful, sun-loving 5-year-old dog with a goofy grin and a big heart. He adores playing fetch, soaking up sunshine, and snuggling with the people he trusts. “Peanut is loyal, playful, and affectionate with his favorite people,” The Vanderpump Dog Foundation shared on Instagram. But despite his sweet personality, Peanut has spent more…

While strolling along the waterfront in Key West, Florida, Delaney and her fiancé, Carl, were soaking in the early morning calm when something unusual caught their eye. Tacked above a small porthole on a shrimp boat was a big pink sign that simply read: “Kissing booth, call Luna.” Instagram/mynotsominiaussie_ The couple smiled. As devoted animal…

As a seasoned trainer with DL Bloodhounds, Deanna Lally spends her days preparing dogs for important roles in law enforcement and search-and-rescue work. But when she’s home with her own crew of eight bloodhounds — lovingly referred to as her “kids” — things look a little less serious. “They’re my family,” Lally told The Dodo.…

When Hanah Hueston, an animal control officer with Vermilion County Animal Shelter, received a call about a husky wandering near a lake, she had no idea just how tense the rescue would become. She and her team arrived to find the dog curled tightly at the edge of a narrow dock, with nowhere left to…

On an ordinary morning in St. Petersburg, Florida, Luna — a 6-pound Chihuahua — trotted into her yard like she always did. But when she returned inside, something was clearly wrong. Carolyn Knight She darted under the bed and began making strange, jerking motions with her throat. Alarmed, her mom, Carolyn Knight, instinctively tried the…

Late one night in Dickson, Tennessee, a heartbreaking act of cruelty was caught on security footage outside the Humane Society of Dickson County — an image that would leave staff shaken and the public outraged. A white Ford F-150 pulled into the shelter’s parking lot under cover of darkness. In the truck bed sat a…