It looks like Obie has made it big. The obese Dachshund who is now embarking on a major weight-loss program appeared on the "Today Show" on Wednesday morning as his story goes viral.

Check out the video with Obie, his owner and Al Roker here.

Portland resident Nora Vanatta, an EMT and certified nursing assistant, told Al Roker how she had agreed to foster the 5-year-old dog, sight unseen, when she read a plea on Oregon Dachshund Rescue’s Facebook page. The dog’s previous owners are elderly and in poor health, and a relative of theirs contacted the rescue group for help.

Needless to say, Vanatta got a lot more than she bargained for when Obie arrived at her home on Aug. 18.

“I hadn’t seen a picture,” she told Roker, “and I thought maybe we’re expecting a basset hound here. There’s no way he could possibly weigh 70 pounds.”

A weigh-in at the vet revealed the purebred Dachshund actually topped the scale at 77 pounds, but was miraculously otherwise healthy.

Vanatta has a degree in animal science and spent eight years as a veterinary technician before switching to human health. She promptly put the pudgy pooch on a weight-loss plan.

Dr. Andrew Kaplan of New York's City Veterinary Care, who appeared with Vanatta and Obie on the morning talk show, says the dog is without a doubt the largest Dachshund he'd ever seen.

The breed is already predisposed to slipped discs and other orthopedic problems, and “this kind of weight is going to wreak havoc on his joints,” he said.

Vanatta has enlisted the help of a Purina representative to feed Obie a special diet that’s low in fat and calories but high in protein and fiber, which will help burn calories and reduce his appetite.

When he’s healthy enough to work out, Vanatta says she will introduce him to hydrotherapy and perhaps a treadmill.

In the meantime, his only exercise is shuffling from the house to the yard to go potty.

“He’s moving better every day,” she said.

Check out the "Obie shuffle" in this video on YouTube.

So far, he’s been losing weight at a rate of one percent – or about two pounds - a week. He’s already down to about 71 pounds.

It could take up to a year for him to get to his goal weight of about 30 to 40 pounds, and at that point he should be able to live a normal life, Kaplan said.

Obie even has his own Facebook page, entitled "Biggest Loser, Doxie edition," which has attracted more than 40,300 "likes" and counting.

He also appears in publications across the country and around the world, from the Huffington Post to an Australian women's website.

Vanatta, who plans to pursue a career as a physician’s assistant, says she is happy that Obie’s story is bringing public awareness to the health issues surrounding obesity. She hopes it will influence people to take better care of their pets as well as themselves.