A competition to choose India's fattest dog

A fascinating competition to choose the fattest dog in Delhi, the capital city of India, has been generating a lot of buzz these days. This competition, named "Fat Dogs of Delhi," is organized based on the model of Alaska's annual 'Fat Bear Week' competition, which selects fat bears.

This competition, which started on the Instagram social media platform, has now become a virtual polling station, with nearly a hundred thousand followers participating.

The competition began on September 24th with the participation of 64 dogs. The final round will be held on Wednesday, and organizers have provided opportunities for voting both online and in person. It is noteworthy that, like a real election, this competition also features opposing campaigns, posters, and even accusations of paid advertising. The anonymous organizers state that they were surprised by the massive response received through social media since the competition began. Even Indian media outlets like Hindustan Times and The Print have paid close attention to this competition, which was deeply shocked when 'Gola' (meaning 'round'), a fat brown dog that was leading the competition, passed away during the event.

Currently, the final round is underway between the deceased 'Gola' (also known as Kebab) and 'Googoo,' a large brown and white dog. In addition to the competition, the Instagram account shares information about animal charities working for the dignified lives of street dogs. Tens of thousands of street dogs live in the capital city of Delhi, and most of them are deeply loved by middle-class neighbors, with some even seen wearing jackets during winter. However, due to the lack of adequate sterilization programs and legal limitations on culling dogs, attacks by street dogs are frequently reported. Last year, the Supreme Court ordered the large-scale capture and removal of these dogs, but the operation had to be limited due to questions about its practicality. Meanwhile, it is notable that this dog competition is taking place against a very serious political backdrop, with accusations leveled against India's Election Commission regarding the revision of voter lists.