Adopting Nela in 2009 changed the way we understand life with dogs. From that deep bond, Brott was born, and today, a charity campaign to give back to greyhounds part of what they've given us.
Some dogs come into your life to keep you company.
Others come to hold you up.
Our story with greyhounds begins in 2009, long before Brott existed as a brand, long before we thought about collars, design or projects with animals. It begins with a fawn-coloured greyhound named Nela and an unexpected exchange of glances at the entrance of a vet's in Manresa.
Nela, the greyhound who stole our hearts
Nela was three or four years old when we adopted her directly from Seproan Sallent. There was no long process, no rational decision. We simply crossed paths with her, she looked at us… and we knew she was already part of our life.
Nela was pure love. A calm, confident, deeply kind-hearted greyhound. Without knowing it, she was our first great teacher.
Through her we discovered something you only understand when you live with a dog on that deep level: animals don't arrive by chance. They arrive when you need them. They come to keep you company, but also to hold you up in moments when you don't even know you need it.
The bond you form with a greyhound is special. They're sensitive, watchful, quiet dogs. They don't intrude, but they're there. They don't demand, but they support. And Nela did it all with a natural elegance that marked us forever.
Brot, a whirlwind full of life
A year later, in 2010, Brot arrived. He was six months old and came from a foster home in Manresa, with Carla and Gerard, two generous people who looked after greyhounds while they waited for their forever family.
When we saw him, my heart flipped. Brot was the complete opposite of Nela. A puppy with no baggage, full of energy, running non-stop, rearing up on two legs to go faster, pure impulse and curiosity. A real whirlwind. Because yes, greyhound puppies are like that, even if people don't always say so.
With Brot we learned another great truth: adopting also means responsibility and awareness. Greyhounds need time, dedication, training and presence to become balanced dogs. They're not just beauty and sweetness, they're character, movement and life.
Nela accepted him from the very first moment. And we grew alongside them, learning to keep pace with two different energies, two ways of being in the world, one same bond.
When a personal story becomes a purpose
It was precisely with Nela that the Brott Barcelona project was born. We couldn't find martingale collars for greyhounds that matched our lifestyle. They were either stiff, made of hard leather, covered in rhinestones, or they simply didn't feel like us. Nothing spoke of design, comfort or sustainability in dog collars.
Marc's grandmother was the one who sewed the first martingale collar for greyhounds. Made at home, made with love, born from real experience of living alongside them, with love in every stitch. That's where it all began.
We didn't just want a pretty collar. We wanted safety, comfort, quality and a design that respected the greyhound's anatomy and sensitivity. We wanted to do it right, to do it with meaning, and to do it from our workshop in Manresa.
That's how Brott was born: from a real story, a genuine need, and a deep bond with our dogs.
Penny, who arrived after the grief
In August 2018, three months after saying goodbye to Nela, Penny arrived. A foster home had rescued her from the Nacional II road, in Madrid. She was curled up in a ball on the roadside when a kind person stopped and picked her up. She was only three months old. She ended up at Estefanía's home, in a town near Madrid.
We spoke on the phone. And we just knew.
We drove up one weekend, made a quick trip, and came back home with her. Penny was a streetwise little princess, sharp as a tack, alert, full of life. She arrived to fill a different space, without replacing anyone, but bringing her own light.
With Brot, it wasn't immediate. He was grieving. And Penny, with surprising emotional intelligence, respected that. For six months she waited, watched, and gradually got closer. Until they became inseparable.
Today Brot is 14 years old. He's a "grandpa" with joint pain, trembling in his back legs and little interest in trotting. Penny doesn't know how to live without him. She encourages him to play, to run, to keep going. They look after each other. They keep each other company. They hold each other up.
Greyhound Day: a campaign born from the bond
Greyhound Day isn't just any date for us. It's memory, it's gratitude, and it's responsibility.
That's why, from 1 to 15 February, Brott is launching a very special charity campaign: 10% of the amount from every greyhound martingale collar will be donated to the Alerta Galgos shelter.
This isn't a promotion. It's a logical consequence of our story. We believe in brands that give back, in projects that get involved, in decisions that have a real impact.
Adopting is also taking a stand
Talking about greyhound adoption means talking about awareness, respect and time. Understanding that living with a dog is a decision that transforms your life. That it involves emotion, bond and presence.
Greyhounds taught us to look more slowly, to listen more, and to design with meaning. Brott wouldn't exist without Nela, without Brot and without Penny. They're part of our story and of everything we do.
If today you choose a Brott martingale collar, you're also choosing to be part of a story of respect for a breed that has given us far more than we could ever give back.