Why the viral 'Fat Dogs of Delhi' contest has dog lovers divided

For the past few days, Delhi’s dog lovers have been busy doing some very serious civic duty - voting, campaigning, putting up posters, and passionately rooting for their favourite candidate. The prize? The coveted ‘Fat Dog of Delhi’ title.

You are probably living under a rock if you don’t know who Kutta Singh, Mahakutteshwar, Chonki or Gajinder are. After more than a week of intense campaigning, vote appeals and fiercely contested Instagram polls, Delhi’s most unconventional election – Fat Dogs of Delhi - is now heading towards its grand finale.

Googoo of Saket and the late Gola aka Rajpal Singh (who died amid the contest) from SDA have made it to the finals. Fans can cast their votes on Instagram or head to a nearby polling booth to make their choice. Yes, you read that right. Four polling booths are being set up across different parts of Delhi today (September 30), where people can physically participate in these elections. But we’ll come to that in a bit. The finalists! A little backstory

It started when a Delhi University student started an Instagram page posting photos of overweight dogs she spotted around the city. Soon, people began sending in their own submissions, complete with names and localities. Two weeks ago, she turned the page into a contest.

What began as a random contest on an Instagram page has turned into an internet phenomenon. Fat Dogs of Delhi now has nearly a lakh followers, with neighbourhood loyalties, campaign posters, fan clubs and even brands joining in. View this post on Instagram A post shared by open for submissions (@fatdogsofdelhi)

Photos and videos of overweight dogs from across Delhi have been going viral, with some people even sharing pictures of their own pets who didn’t make it into the competition but, they insist, would have ‘won’. Essentially, Delhi has found something wonderfully silly to obsess over: neighbourhood dogs with names, personalities and remarkably devoted voter bases.

But amid all the laughter and adorable photographs, there is one uncomfortable question that some dog lovers have raised: what exactly are we celebrating when we celebrate obesity in dogs.Did the viral competition miss out on a big picture?

“This competition has made me really uncomfortable, especially because I can’t help but think about how we’re glorifying obesity in dogs. My own pet developed arthritis after being mildly overweight, so seeing people celebrate these dogs for their size is honestly quite distressing. I know it’s meant to be harmless fun, but I can’t help but worry about what we’re normalising when we turn an unhealthy condition into something to be celebrated,” Ashna Mehta, who has a seven-year-old Shih Tzu, told India Today Digital.

Koustav Das, a Noida-based media professional and self-described dog lover who owns a Golden Retriever, finds the competition “insensitive”.

“Their being overweight is a sign that they may not be healthy, and the dogs have no say in how they’re being portrayed. They can’t speak for themselves, so I find it uncomfortable to see an unhealthy condition being turned into a source of entertainment,” he said.

Ironically, Googoo, one of the Delhi competition’s finalists, is a 46-kg mixed-breed dog at an animal-care centre, where he is on a regulated diet and getting regular medical check-ups to lose weight. Googoo from Saket has been on a diet at an animal-care centre from last two weeks.

Veterinarians say obesity in dogs is more than a matter of appearance and can have a direct impact on their health, mobility and quality of life.

Dr Abhishek Choudhary, a veterinarian at Vetic Pet Clinic, says excess weight puts additional stress on a dog’s joints and can increase the risk of diabetes, heart and breathing problems, while also affecting its lifespan. “It can also create a vicious cycle - when movement becomes difficult, dogs tend to exercise less, burn fewer calories and gain more weight,” he explains.

33-year-old Divya Arora, who is a dog owner and also cares for stray dogs in her neighbourhood, expressed similar concerns. “Dogs can become overweight due to overfeeding, neutering or medical issues such as thyroid and other hormonal problems, so I don’t really understand what this competition is trying to achieve,” she said.

She questioned whether the contest was simply a harmless way for people to find some joy amid frustrating times, or whether it was meant to raise awareness. “If it’s the former, I understand the fun, but I worry about where we draw the line,” she said, pointing to sponsors offering treats to the participating dogs. “What if people start overfeeding their pets or community dogs just to enter them into the competition?”advertisementThe paw-sitive side, thoughThe other side of the debate is that, for many people who care for stray and community dogs, the attention itself is not necessarily a bad thing. Some argue that the competition is making these animals more visible and, in turn, helping people see them as part of their communities.

Akriti Rana, who cares for street animals, believes the focus on these dogs can ultimately benefit the larger cause. “Most of these ‘fat’ dogs are usually unwell. Their weight gain can be hormonal and is often linked to being spayed or neutered, rather than simply being overfed,” she said. “But this kind of attention helps make street animals more visible and normalises their presence. Even if people engage because it’s trendy, it could still make them more aware of these animals and the care they need.”

Mahima, of Friends of Feedoh, believes the bigger issue is the way most stray dogs are treated. “At a time when stray dogs are being abused, starved and attacked, and people who feed them are being harassed, I don’t think we should be focusing too much on a few dogs being overweight,” she said. “The reality is that most dogs living on the streets are malnourished, skinny and unwell. So, I actually think it’s nice to see a few community dogs being celebrated and recognised as animals that are loved and cared for.” Many dog lovers believe the competition is making community animals more visible and helping people see them as part of their neighbourhoods.

“I think the Fat Dogs of Delhi competition is simply bringing into focus the fact that street dogs - our stray and community dogs - are part of our society. They are part of our communities, and they are loved,” said another dog lover we spoke to.

They have a point. The Fat Dogs of Delhi Instagram page is now also using its massive reach to raise funds for animals and share adoption appeals. The competition has moved beyond the entertainment bit, becoming a platform to spotlight animals in need and rally support for their care. An adoption appeal on 'Fat Dogs of Delhi' Instagram page.

And so, as Delhi heads to the polls, the debate continues: is this just a gloriously silly internet contest, or something more complicated? Either way, the Fat Dogs of Delhi have achieved what few elections can - getting an entire city emotionally invested in a bunch of very good boys and girls.

FES Cafe and Desserts, Galleria Market, Gurgaon; AKU’s, Basant Lok Market, Vasant Vihar; FES Cafe and Desserts, Kamla Nagar; and AKU’s, Adarsh Bhawan, Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi.- Ends

Medha Chawla is an Assistant Editor with India Today Digital, writing about fashion, lifestyle, pop culture, travel, food and weddings. She is a quintessential (not really) Delhi girl who loves her Sarojini sprees, is obviously a foodie and can never say no to adrak wali chaai. She lives, breathes and also survives on Instagram.