Spotted on The Daily Mail UK:

Obie the formerly obese dachshund shows off his astonishing weight loss on the beach after shedding 50lbs on a year-long diet

• Obie the dachshund has been on a diet since last August after his former owners almost fed him to death
• He started out weighing 77lbs and now tips the scales at only 27lbs
• A standard dachshund should weigh a maximum of 32lbs

After more than a year of strict dieting, a tummy tuck surgery and lots of long walks, Obie the formerly obese dachshund has emerged nearly 50lbs lighter.

The pup, living in Portland, Oregon, with owner Nora Vanatta, had previously tipped the scales at whopping 77lbs. Now, he is down to a healthy weight of 27lbs. This week, Vanatta and the new and improved Obie celebrated his drastic makeover with a trip to the beach.

The story of the grossly overweight 5-year-old pooch went viral last year when social media sites lit up with photos of a miserable-looking Obie lying on his back with his enormous belly chaffed from being dragged on the ground.

According to the website set up by Miss Vanatta to track Obie’s weight loss, the pup previously had been in the care of an elderly couple who overfed him out of love and largely kept him indoors with little to no exercise.

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

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