Before and after: The amazing transformation of Obie the formerly obese dachshund who lost 40lb

Obie has been on a diet since last year after his former owners almost fed him to death



A dachshund dog should only weigh a maximum of 32lbs



These are the amazing 'before and after' weight loss pictures of Obie the dachshund who found fame after tipping the scales at 77lbs.



The formerly obese dog showed off his remarkable 40lb weight loss in a series of pictures taken on a hike on Sunday with his owner Nora Vanatta. The little dog sprints along the trail - a remarkable difference considering several months ago he was barely able to move.



After dropping the pounds over an eight-month period, Obie had surgery at an Oregon veterinary clinic that removed 2 1/2 pounds of loose skin that had been dragging along the ground.



Fighting fit: Obie the dachshund went for a hike on Sunday and showed off the impressive results of his weight loss and skin removal surgery

Before: Obie could barely move after his owners fed him until he was obese

Obie now weighs about 35lbs. Fans have been following his weight loss ever since the first pictures of Obie when he was obese were posted on Facebook.



The dog was so overweight that he needed to wear a harness to stop his body dragging on the ground.



Obie was adopted by former veterinary technician Ms Vanatta after his elderly owners almost fed him to death.

But Oregon Dachshund Rescue owner Jenell Rangan accused the woman of exploiting the dog for 'sensationalistic promotional value' and began fighting for custody.

Obie became a nationwide celebrity after appearing on TV shows such as 'Live With Kelly and Michael' and the Today Show with Ms Vanatta, who put him on a drastic diet.

A Facebook page that chronicled his weight loss now has 96,000 followers.

Walkies: Obie bounds up the Oregon trail on Sunday after losing 40lb over an eight-month period



But the rescue centre claimed to be Obie's owner six months ago and in court papers filed on October 22 accuses Ms Vanatta of 'wrongfully' holding the dog in an effort to get famous and pocket the donations that are flowing in to help pay for his care.

'They say I'm exploiting him,' Ms Vanatta told KATU.com last year. 'They say I'm misusing his funds and they claim he belongs to them.'

But the rescue centre claimed to be Obie's owner six months ago and in court papers filed on October 22 accuses Ms Vanatta of 'wrongfully' holding the dog in an effort to get famous and pocket the donations that are flowing in to help pay for his care.

Recovery time: Obie the formerly obese dachshund recovering after surgery at an Oregon veterinary clinic that removed 2 1/2 pounds of loose skin

Weight struggles: Obie the obese Dachshund, pictured, tipped the scales at 77 pounds last year

The woman, who is now his permanent owner, collected thousands of dollars from Obie's supporters. But she insists that everything she's done was for the dog benefit.



Oregon Dachshund Rescue put out an online plea for help when they heard the dog was in need of a home.



A rescue centre volunteer picked up Obie from his former owners and delivered him to Ms Vanatta after she volunteered to help.

'He's famous and he’s touched so many people and I think they regret not taking him on in the first place,' she said.



Dubbed the world's fattest sausage dog, Obie found fame in September after Ms Vanatta put him on a drastic diet to try and get him back into shape.

Obie, who was double the size of an average Dachshund, was nearly fed to death by his doting elderly owners who had to give him up because of their deteriorating health .

A Dachshund normally has a maximum weight of 32 pounds - a little over two stone - with Obie more than twice the size at the age of just five.

Ms Vanatta said: 'He arrived on August 18 and to my astonishment he was a dachshund and he actually weighed 77 lbs.



'He is extremely sweet and loving. He was obviously loved and is a joy to work with. The aging owners just couldn't say no to those big brown eyes.

'But we are thrilled to be able to help him, and now moving on with his new life.'



Ms Vanatta, who has a degree in animal science and is a certified veterinary technician, said the dog's staggering weight meant she was unable to take him out for exercise.

Exploitation: Nora Vanatta, pictured, was being accused of exploiting the dog for 'sensationalistic promotional value'

Instead, she resorted to a special diet and hydrotherapy in an attempt to shed the pounds.



Ms Vanatta set up a Paypal page to encourage people to donate money to pay for Obie's care and the donations have been flowing in.



When she embarked on the project, she said: 'I feel tremendously blessed to be involved in his rehabilitation and I am amazed at the outpouring of love and support that I have received.



'My hope is that he can be an inspiration to any person or animal trying to lose weight.



'It is so important to introduce pups and kids to a healthy lifestyle and food choices as early as possible.'

Fat: Obie, pictured, had to wear a harness to stop his belly dragging on the ground