How it all began
In 2011, I spotted a small dachshund mix on the street wearing a red bow tie on his collar. It was love at first sight — I immediately knew that Kadlo, my dog, needed one too. I searched for four years. In shops, vintage stores, everywhere. Bow ties had simply vanished from the market.
In the summer of 2015, I finally found one — a men's bow tie, but exactly what I had in mind. Kadlo started wearing it on his collar every day. It caught everyone's attention, made people smile, brightened up their day. And it hit me: why isn't this a thing? Why don't I make them myself?
I'm a creative person who loves making things by hand. So I went for it. I designed my own bow tie — the shape, the way it clips onto a collar or harness, keeping it practical and simple. In August 2015, FUNKY DOG was born.
From the very beginning, I knew I wanted the brand to help animals. I've been involved in animal rescue and welfare my whole life — and FUNKY DOG was always meant to be a natural extension of that. We donate 10 to 30% of every product's price to animals in need.
The bow tie became a symbol. Every dog wearing one shows the world that they're helping their friends in shelters.
Ten years on from that first bow tie, we've come a long way. Today we make collars, leashes, harnesses, beds and our own insect-based treats. I use exclusively ecological and ethical materials — Piñatex from pineapple leaves, linen, hemp and cotton. All textile products are made in a sheltered workshop. Together with two colleagues, I also wrote and published a dog cookbook, Don't Bark, Just Eat.
The brand founded in 2015 today stands behind the FUNKY DOG Foundation — because what started as a bow tie on a collar deserved a stronger structure and a wider reach.
The face of the brand is and always will be Mr. Cuddlo — Kadlo, an extraordinary dog with a strong personality, breed: "purebred mystery."
~ Katka, founder