Daschund On A Diet, Owner Sued For Exploitation - Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29

An inspirational dog in Oregon is winning the battle of the bulge while his owner is winning the battle of his custody.

Obie, a daschund, owes all his weight-loss success to his foster mom, Nora Vanatta, who has just won a court battle to keep him in her care.

When Vanatta began caring for him, Obie weighed a whopping 77 pounds, three times what a normal daschund should weigh.

After starting a rigorous diet plan, detailed in a Facebook page dedicated to Obie's weight-loss battle, donations to help with his medical bills began to arrive.

This fanfare caught the attention the Oregon Daschund Rescue Group, who sued Vanetta for exploiting Obie.

Vanatta said she didn't know she was adopting a famous dog, and after a court settlement has allowed her to keep her pudgy pet, she is relieved she and Obie can finally move on.

"It was just imperative that I fought for him. I think when they brought the lawsuit against me they thought I would just hand him over," the proud pet owner said.

Vanatta said she does not think Obie would have lived much longer had they not begun the diet plan. She said that Obie is happy now and people can tell he is doing well.

The now-49-pound Obie still has 10 more pounds to go before he reaches his weight goal.

Vanatta said she hopes to give Obie skin reduction surgery in the near future to make it easier for him to exercise.