Meet Goofy, the winner of the Fat Dogs of Bengaluru contest

It was a fierce fight for the top spot of Fat Dogs of Bengaluru this weekend. Bachonker McChonketh from Neon Market in Indiranagar was going up against Goofy who hails from Nagarbhavi. Ultimately Goofy took the crown of the fattest dog in Bengaluru after six knockout rounds and an online poll that received more than two lakh votes.

The Fat Dogs of Bengaluru initiative is styled after the Fat Dogs of Delhi contest that was held a few weeks ago online. It garnered a lot of attention, and Gola from Hauz Khas, who unfortunately passed away, won the title posthumously.

Mazin Mohamed Iqbal is the product marketing manager at Fave, a UPI app aimed at gen-z, which was the driving force behind the initiative here in the city. “We saw the Delhi contest became a viral phenomenon and we thought let us replicate it in Bengaluru. It is something fun that we can involve the community in.” Mazin also runs an Instagram page called Fave Finds Bengaluru. “We go around the city, and we make videos about the most interesting things in Bengaluru.” They started the page @fatdogsofblr and invited entries at the end of September.

People were asked to send in a picture of their street dog, a name and the area where the dog lives in. “A lot of people responded. Within five days we received hundreds of entries. 64 dogs were chosen for the contest.” The website fatdogsofblr was created in association with Emergent, an AI software creation platform. The tournament unfolded online and this past weekend was the final face off between Bachonker McChonketh and Goofy. Their page is not monetised and they do not do any paid promotions, Mazin clarifies.

Heated rivalry

Canines from all across the city were up for contention. Mr Gundumani from SP Road went head-to-head with Vasu from RR Nagar. Jonathan Joestar from Sahakarnagar emerged a fan favourite, with critical comments accusing vote rigging (how topical) when he lost out in the semi finals. LPG, Old Monk, Fattet Bhature, Overlord of Gluttony and Chonky Shastry were some of the other entrants. The website has a dog map where you can zoom into different areas and see the dogs who live on those streets.

For a cause

The Fat Dogs of Bengaluru initiative is not only for fun. Emergent has pledged a donation to Charlie’s Animal Rescue Centre (C.A.R.E.). Fave is also donating ₹1000 for every 100 downloads of their app. Some users have raised concerns that contests like this promote unhealthiness or obesity in dogs. To this Mazin says, “I think we can appreciate all dogs. Recording and taking pictures of these dogs does not mean we are condoning it. We also hope that through this, these dogs gain more attention, and get medical help, if they need it.”

For more details visit @fatdogsofblr on Instagram