PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -
A pudgy dachshund named Obie who once tipped the scales at 77 pounds will stay in his current foster home.
Nora Vanatta, who took in Obie in September, appeared in court Monday in an effort to keep the dog.
Oregon Dachshund Rescue group claims Vanatta has been exploiting Obie's unusual obesity in order to get money from national television shows. The rescue group asked Vanatta to return the dog, but, after caring for Obie for two months, Vanatta said the dog now belongs to her.
"There's nothing to indicate he belonged to anyone else. He was relinquished by the previous owner," she said.
"This is a dog that needed to have certain things done, see a specialist, see a cardiologist, now just lose pounds like any dog depending on how you feed it, but actually be treated for obesity condition," said Geordie Duckler, the lawyer for Oregon Dachshund Rescue. "Those things weren't happening."
Obie's case will go to an arbitrator. For the time being, the dog will stay in Vanatta's care.
If a deal can't be reached between the two sides, the battle over Obie will go to trial.
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