- Deceased Gola won; contest supported animal welfare initiatives.
- Physical polling booths with stickers created election-like atmosphere.
Delhi has found its favourite chunky canine, but the contest was far from an ordinary online poll. The Fat Dogs of Delhi competition turned neighbourhood dogs into celebrity candidates, complete with supporters, campaign-style posts and even physical polling booths.
The late Gola emerged as the winner, securing the top spot by a margin of 39,904 votes after weeks of campaigning by dog lovers across the capital.
What began as an Instagram page celebrating some of Delhi’s chonkiest street dogs eventually featured 64 dogs and evolved into a knockout tournament that saw supporters rally behind their favourites.
Supporters Take Contest To Polling Booths
By the final stage, the competition had moved beyond Instagram Stories, with physical voting stations set up at four locations across Delhi.
Voters could cast their ballots in person. Instead of an inked finger, voters reportedly received a star sticker after writing their chosen dog’s name on a sticky note. A sparkly ballot box added to the election-style setup, with voters choosing between Gola and Googoo.
The atmosphere remained playful, with people turning up for different reasons. Some came because they loved dogs, while others were reportedly encouraged by friends or wanted to experience the unusual contest.
Instructions at one polling station even carried a humorous warning: “And oh, no riots, please.”
Gola’s Death Makes Final More Emotional
One of the biggest talking points during the contest was Gola’s death. Also known as Kebab or Rajpal Singh, Gola was from SDA Market in Hauz Khas and had been among the leading contenders before her death.
Another popular contender, Tara, also known as Khan Sahab from Khan Market, died during the tournament.
The organisers shared tributes after learning of their deaths.
They said Gola died on Sunday evening, while Tara had died a couple of days earlier.
“Given the outpour of public support they have both gotten, and the fact that they are still in the competition, we thought it would be best to inform you,” the organisers said.
Locals had several names for the two dogs. Gola was also called Rajpal Singh and Kebab, while Tara was known as Dhol.
“They were both known and loved,” the organisers said.
The page also said, “To honour the legacy they left behind, fatdogsofdelhi plans on raising funds and donating the proceeds to animal welfare causes.”
Googoo Was Gola’s Final Rival
The contest eventually came down to Googoo from Saket and Gola from SDA Market.
Googoo, a 46kg mixed-breed dog, was also undergoing a supervised weight-loss programme at Jeevashram Foundation.
The physical voting concept was reportedly finalised just three days before the finale by the 22-year-old founder of Fat Dogs of Delhi, who has chosen to remain anonymous.
The founder also addressed criticism that the contest was “insensitive”.
“I don’t have a comment on that. I know that we’re doing all that we can for these dogs,” they said, as quoted by India Today.
Contest Raises Focus On Animal Welfare
The competition attracted thousands of votes and prompted supporters to create posters, memes and endorsement posts for their chosen dogs.
Organisers reportedly said they were raising funds, working with NGOs and caretakers, and speaking with sponsors about helping the winners, other street dogs and animal welfare organisations.
The contest, which began as a fun celebration of Delhi’s chunky street dogs, thus also became a platform for raising funds and supporting animal welfare causes.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
