Gola, a beloved community dog, posthumously won the viral Fat Dogs of Delhi contest, defeating 63 other neighborhood dogs. Securing over 66,000 votes in the final round against finalist Googoo, her victory followed massive online and offline campaigns.
Delhi has crowned its “fattest dog”, but the winner’s story has left the city with a bittersweet ending. Gola, also known as Kebab or Rajpal Singh, a much-loved community dog from the SDA Market in Hauz Khas, emerged as the champion of the viral Fat Dogs of Delhi contest despite having died while the competition was still underway.
Gola defeated Googoo from Saket in the final, securing the title after an extraordinary voting campaign that attracted thousands of participants both online and offline. According to the final figures reported by the organisers, Gola received 66,952 votes, while Googoo received 27,046, giving Gola a winning margin of 39,904 votes. More than 94,000 votes were cast in the final round.
The unusual contest began with 64 dogs from neighbourhoods across Delhi-NCR. What started as a social-media initiative quickly turned into a citywide phenomenon, with supporters creating posters, memes, Instagram campaigns and appeals urging people to vote for their favourite dogs. Physical polling booths were also established at locations including Vasant Vihar, Kamla Nagar and Punjabi Bagh, allowing Delhi residents to cast ballots offline.
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Gola had been one of the leading contenders before her unexpected death. Despite calls from some supporters for a posthumous contestant to be removed from the ballot, she remained in the competition as people continued campaigning in her memory. Her eventual victory turned the contest into something more than a playful online poll, with supporters rallying around a dog that had become a familiar presence in her neighbourhood.
The contest was inspired by Alaska’s annual Fat Bear Week, but organisers gave it a distinctly Delhi flavour. The original announcement described it as the “world’s first online fat dog competition!”
The initiative has also taken an animal-welfare turn. Organisers said donations and sponsorships would help provide food, beds, collars and other support for community dogs and shelters.
Gola may have been the contest’s most unusual winner, but her victory ultimately reflected the affection Delhi residents had developed for the city’s neighbourhood dogs.
