Obie, the Once 77 Pound Dachshund, Inspires the World with His Weight Loss Journey

Via Facebook Page

When Nora Vanatta, an EMT with 8 years of experience as a vet tech, rescued Obie,  he was morbidly obese, weighing in at 77 pounds. Obie had been living with aging owners who struggled to care for him, and simply began loving him with food. After becoming convinced that with the proper care Obie could become a happy, healthy pup, the owners agreed to relinquish him into the  care of volunteers. Ultimately, Obie ended up with Nora.

A "Huge" Turnaround

At the time, Obie struggled to walk and breathe. He had painful sores on his underbelly from his extra weight dragging on the ground. That was August 2012. Today, Obie weights in at a svelte 29.8 pounds! A careful regimen of diet and exercise, and a surgery to remove 2.5 pounds of extra skin, has helped Obie lose over 50 pounds, and return to the ranks of a happy and healthy 7-year-old Dachshund.Obie's weight loss journey has not been without drama or struggle. Obie had originally been rescued by the Oregon Dachshund Rescue, but ended up with Nora after the president, Jenell Rangan, wrote an open letter to find someone with the resources to properly care for Obie. Nora responded to their plea, and had been caring for Obie with positive results for 2 months, when Rangan demanded the portly pooch be returned to her care. After a dramatic court battle, it was decided that Obie would remain in Nora's care.

Life in the Fit Lane

Obie is well on his way to recovery, and is enjoying life as a normal pup with his two doggie brothers in Oregon. Keep up with Obie's Story on his Facebook page,

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