Obie the obese dog to stay put, but legal fight will continue
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Obie's Facebook Page | On Twitter: #Obie
PORTLAND, Ore. – A 70-pound dachshund at the center of a custody battle will stay put for now, but the litigation isn't over yet - not by a long shot.
Obie the obese dog captured national attention when his caretaker, Nora Vanatta, put him on a diet. But then Oregon Dachshund Rescue owner Jenell Rangan filed a lawsuit, claiming that Obie belongs to her.
“They say I’m exploiting him,” said Vanatta. “They say I’m misusing his funds and they claim he belongs to them.”
At a court hearing Monday morning, a judge decided that the dog will stay with Vanatta, at least for now. The judge said at this point it is unclear who owns Obie. Oregon Dachshund Rescue was asking that the dog be turned over to them until ownership is decided, but the judge declined.
Rangan didn't say much when we asked her how she felt about the judge's decision.
"Well, I don't have an answer for that - I really don't," she said. "We're going to take it a little bit farther."
So what does this mean in the long term?
The case will now go to full litigation - first to arbitration and then there could possibly be a trial. And that could all take months to work through.
"Ms. Rangan and ODR get two bites of this apple," said Geordie Duckler, who is representing Oregon Dachshund Rescue. "It didn't take. They get a whole second bite - same apple, same witnesses, same evidence. In fact, even more witnesses and evidence at a trial. We just have to wait six months to do it."
"We're just really happy about the outcome of the case," said James McCurdy, who represents Obie's caretaker. "Like the judge indicated in the courtroom, it's far from over and we understand that. We're just really ecstatic Obie can stay in the fantastic situation he's in."
The case is a complicated one. For one, neither side has a paper trail. Although there were some e-mails and Facebook posts that explain how the transaction between the two sides played out, there were not any formal contracts/agreements drawn up until it became clear that a legal battle was in the air.
So the question of who actually owns the dog will not be decided any time soon - not until it is all sorted out in court. Until then, the two sides will continue to argue their points.
"This is a dog that needed to have certain things done - see a specialist, see a cardiologist. Not just lose pounds, which any dog could do depending on how you feed it," said Duckler. "But actually be treated for an obese condition."
When we spoke to Vanatta earlier about the situation, she said she just wants what is best for Obie - and she believes she can give that to him.
"He's doing well here," she said. "It just doesn't make sense to take him away now."
The Back Story
Oregon Dachshund Rescue originally heard the dog was in need of a home and put out an online plea for help. Vanatta offered to help soon after and an Oregon Dachshund Rescue volunteer picked up Obie from his former owners’ home and delivered him to Vanatta.
Rangan said she believes Obie belongs to her and Vanatta is not providing good care.
Vanatta disagrees - she said Obie has lost 15 pounds since being in her care and she hopes he can shed another one or two pounds a week going forward.
Obie first appeared on our AM Northwest show earlier this month. Watch the video:
I believe that the Oregon Dachshund Rescue is being very mean and does not care for Obie's well being. Leve Nora and Obie alone and stop making Nora wate her money on this stuipd court thing instad of using her money to care for Obie's care. Oregon Dachshund Rescue find some doxie's that really need your help and not try and take one away from a special lady that only has love for Obie and is taking very good care of him.
If everyone keeps arguing about this dog, they won't have to worry about who has the dog..it will die from pressure on it's heart...You should contact the Fredericton N. B. SPCA to see how they took care of Tiny the Cat..he weighed 32 lbs.
ODR shelter is a scam do not trust them.
Let the woman keep the dog. She obviously has more invested in him than the shelter. And isn't the goal of the shelter to make sure the dog has a home? He has one. Back off.
Man! What is that whining going on about a dog who is losing weight within healthy vet parameters with a woman who is tending him? The fact that someone goes on and on and on about how the dog is not losing weight the healthy way, yet doesn't even CHIDE the fact that the dog got overweight in the first place by the negligent factor of his elderly owners?Â
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The case is mute. Nora is doing a great job (Bravo, Nora!) and her background in animal science proves it. CSU has one of THE BEST animal science colleges in the nation.Â
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I still don't see why people are against Nora's mission to make Obie healthy.Â
 @washcomom I know this is picky but so many people misuse and wrongly spell the word "moot," that I thought you would like to know--it's not "mute" it's "moot."
 @Sonsi Mehenna In this case, I did want MUTE - to shut it up - although MOOT is the proper term.Â
I say that as long as it's their own money paying for the court appearances and attorneys' fees, let them duke it out for months. Â Maybe it will keep some starving attorneys from going on food stamps or swelling the unemployment lines.
Nora is competent and loving towards OBIE. 8 yrs as a vet technician. She shows compassion and has integrity. Obie has a long way to go, however at least he is getting the exercise and diet that he needs. Not to mention the companionship of Nora's family and two dogs. Obie should stay where he's at.
I say put the stupid dog down...people going on about an animal when there are homeless people and hungry children.
 @Me Perhaps we should put you down!
 @Me ~  Animals give unconditional love and loyalty, which, is a quality that most humans do not even know the meaning of... Â
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"stupid dog"..? Â That dog didn't get himself into the physical condition he's in... it was done, albeit unintentionally, by HUMANS. Â Â So somehow it's wrong, in your view, for a HUMAN to try to help the dog? Â Â
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Yes, there are homeless people, and there are hungry people of all ages; and yes, they need help. Â But they are not the only things needing - or deserving of - our attention and concern. Â Â Feel free to extend your help wherever you feel it is most needed... and let the rest of us do the same. Â
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I sense a smelly troll here! Can only imagine what you really look like. You lowlife coward!
The dog deserves to live just like anyone else. I saw your other post about homeless people and hungry children. People are capable of helping themselves. Animals are not. They need a voice, they rely on us. Some of us choose to help animals, some to choose to help people. You do what you want and the rest of us will do what we want. By the way, what are you doing to help homeless people and starving children? Anything? Do tell...
him even
Nora has had her for 10 weeks. at an average of 1.5 pound a week, that is just a little under 2 percent of his original weight a week. So DoxieCan's argument doesn't hold water. it is simple mathematics.
 @jdgremsjr : We know, but give her time... she'll have a whole new troll argument shortly.
 @jdgremsjr She didn't take math classes, just sports medicine, so she's an expert on dog weight.
Put the dog on a diet of weight los food, walk the poor thing aq minimum of 2-5 times a day, very small walks to start to avoid a heart condition. HAve the courts "monitor" the diet and as long as Vanetta is making excellent progress, let her keep it. The humane society surely has many other dogs to focus on, adn isn't that the purpose? TO FIND A LOVING HOME so the dog can live happy and be taken care of? The dog is losing weight, let Vanetta do her ting.
 @Sue Stewart It's not advisable to lose that much weight this fast for dog or human.  There is plenty of scientific proof on this topic. Americans have really gone nuts over weight loss show like Biggest Loser.  Indeed, extreme cases --- in this instance for a dog -- whom Nora Vanetta calls Obie :The Biggest Loser" for marketing purposes ... mostly to dupe and raise funds from nice and well meaning people like yourself -- is just bad health and bad period.  If you were to  go to your local university medical library, you'll discover that losing this much weight is just bad period.  Your family doctor would likely concur too.  I personally feel sorry for the dog.  Either way he's hooped.  ODR has done a grave injustice placing him with this Nora person, and she in turn is just using him to make money.  I hope the judge just places him with the ASPCA and I am sure someone with a big heart and the time will help this guy lose weight the healthy way.  Â
 @DoxieCan  @Sue Stewart Is this Ms. Rangan or ODR?  So what if she is getting money.  She couldn't have planned it that way because those things never work out.  Your pissed off and being nit picky."Oh, it's too much weight too fast Or Oh, she took him on a dangerous plane" Go get a life or better yet go do what you get paid for and help dogs that need help.
jealous much?
 @DoxieCan : Your own posted website says that the dog is losing weight at a good rate.
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Give it up already... you're not even a good troll anymore, let alone shill. :/
 @DoxieCan You should get a life, lady. You're not a vet, a vet tech, a doctor, nothing. Obie is under the care of a vet, and Nora is a vet tech, and you don't know what the hell you are talking about. Go away!
 @DoxieCan  @Sue Stewart I'm sorry why would you wish him to be put in a cage when he gets to go to the beach
 @DoxieCan  @Sue Stewart Jesus DoxieCan, you are like a broken record.
It's very obvouis that the rescue people don't care about the dog, only the money they could make by exploiteng him.SORRY BUNCH OF INDIVIDUALS!
It;s obvouis thet the wount to exploit the dog instead, They don't car abou the dog at all, only the money! It's being cared for and loved, leave it alone or we'll start up enough negitive stuff about you that nobody will donate to ya anymore!
It's very obvouis that the rescue people don't care about the dog, only the money they could make by exploiteng him.SORRY BUNCH OF INDIVIDUALS!
It is infuriating that the court's time is being wasted with this.
It sounds like Obie is loved and is being taken care of. Leave Obie alone. I worry that in the long run,Obie is going to have some major health issues! This is not a political story,so please leave politics out of it. Not all news items are going to be about politics.
 @Jennifer Hamlet In the long run that dog is likely going to have health issues--so what? I'm not sure that anything can be done to avoid that.  He's better off getting that weight off and getting to a point where he can start exercising to countermand the damage. The poor thing doesn't live very long--at least he's happy and loved.
ODR should be ashamed of themselves! Any one looking at this can see it's obvious they are kicking themselves for missing this opportunity for an exploitation. Leave Obie alone!
I bet it washes itself with a rag on a stick.
I assume this is one of those canine interest stories. I brought my dog over to the computer screen to look at the story, and he sniffed it but didn't seem all that interested. I wasn't any more interested than he was.
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But I did find interesting is that someone would consume precious minutes of their life dealing with a fat dog on one side or the other of this issue. I consider it a nonissue.
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I do have a funny story that this reminded me of.
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I had a sister-in-law that had a dog like this and it like to sun itself out in the driveway on warm days. One day she backed her K car over the dog with both tires. The dog got up and looked at her with a rather rude look and move to another spot. Apparently with no damage at all. I told her she should paint the dog yellow and changes its name to speedbump.
 @ORthinker you want to heard don't you. If it wasn't of interest why bother with your comments.
Once again K2, you run with a story on a fat dog rather than cover any bit of this terrible scandal. Why are you trying to protect Obama?
Why is the possibly preventable killing of our Ambassador and other heroic Americans not important to you?
Are you avoiding the truth or even a few hard questions because you might lose a few of your Obama supporting ad accounts?
What have we come to when the so called media simply will not do its most basic of jobs. The job it is obligated to do? If you read this and you call yourself a 'journalist' you need to check yourself and find out why you are doing this job. Because if you are not digging into this you are letting your country down.
Disgusting.
Does everything in the world have to revolve around politiccs??? There are other things that happen. Did ya hear about the storm??????
 @Rob C 503 Exactly, Rob.  I'm personally very concerned about the election, the people being affected by the storm, the possibility that there will be a lot of jobs that suddenly disappear in the east (and a lot of back breaking manual jobs, putting their cities back together).
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And yet .. I was glad to see some news about something less tense. Â Jack_Bauer ... go wash the frothing off your chin.
 @Jack_Bauer are you some kind of nut.  what has this to do with obama.  are you so hateful that you can't read anything without making some kind of sick political thing out of it.  go back to bad and get some sleep.Â
 @Jack_Bauer This is a story about a fat dog in the local section.  Why are you trying to turn the conversation to Obama?
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Why shouldn't KATU mention this? Â Because it's not important to you?
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Are you avoiding the fat dog topic because your own fat dog might catch you reading about another one?
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Say what you will about the so called media, but what has readership and commenting come to when staying relatively on topic is too much a chore for you to be tasked with. Â If you aren't digging this article then why click, comment, and let those of us remotely interested in something else for a moment down.
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Disappointing.
 @Bennicus  @Jack_BauerÂ
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"DISAPPOINTING" Holy crap, Not staying on topic is disappointing to you?!!! How about the media GETTING on topic? What has happened to journalism in this country? They were once the voice of the people and asked tough questions of our leaders. Now the majority of them are lap dogs for the Left.
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This story was ran a few weeks ago and though a cutesy follow up story is nice, we have a major story that involves gross incompetence and a conspiratorial coverup. If this had been George Bush's scandal the media would have been on it like glue. Only a handful are doing the digging.
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Shame on the media and shame on you. The American people deserve the truth and we need to know the character of our leaders. OMG we have a flipping national election in a week and we need to know what happened and why.
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Cue the wiener dog story...
 @Bennicus They can cover any story they want and I'm happy the wiener dog is losing weight, but the fact that they have not covered the Libya debacle is downright contemptible. There is tons of information coming out that the left leaning media is intentionally ignoring.
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I don't care which side of the aisle people are on, we should all be alarmed when the bulk of our media is so blatantly liberal that they will ignore any story that might have a negative affect on Obama's reelection hopes.
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The state of journalism in this country should scare the crap out of every American.
 @QuandoQuandoQuando  @Bennicus  @Jack_BauerÂ
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You're missing the point, the media went after Bush every chance they got and kept after him. The war protesters kept after him and got tons of news coverage. All I expect and DESERVE as an American citizen is the media to do its job no matter which party is in the White House.
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How can we have a free and informed society if the journalists won't report the truth no matter which party they belong to?
 @Scotty9  @Bennicus  @Jack_Bauer Did you get this upset about gross incompetence and a conspiratorial coverup over 9/11 and the Bush administration? How about the WMD in Iraq that he took us to war over? Didn't think so, shame on YOU!
 @Scotty9   I agree that it is a story that does need to be looked into more thoroughly than it is currently.  Without a doubt security should have been much more robust for our people in Libya even without actionable intelligence that something was gonna go down.  Not defending the POTUS or the media in any way in regards to the handling of the situation.  Using the Islam bashing film as a scapegoat never made more than lick of sense.  Considering the military action the US spearheaded it was only a matter of time before loyalists sought revenge.  Unfortunately they found a soft target under the negligence of Hillary and any security advisers and Obama is ultimately culpable as the man at the top.
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That outta the way, why can't KATU cover the fat dog story? Â It got a strong response indicating readership seems to care about it. Â I don't understand whining about coverage of other stories like the Libya situation in the comments. Â Writing the staff an e-mail would likely be more effective.
 @Scotty9  @Bennicus  @Jack_Bauer if you want to read political stuff...go to that section and rant. Â
As the proud owner of 2 doxie's, and having limited dealings with ODR over the last 10 years, At the risk of having to hire an attorney and fight a slander suit... i do not trust them as far as I could throw Obie.... They have a habit of snatching all doxie's, EVERDAY, on craigslist, and then turn around and 'attempt' to sell these lovable little orphans at up to 10 times what they pay for them... I purchased my 3 year old black and tan female in March of 2011, she was 18 months old... Just after I contacted the private party selling her, to a good home, for $75. ODR contacted her and tried to trump my purchase price... they were willing to pay $200. because they knew they could sell her for $400+... my doxie and I got lucky that day... It wasn't about the money... It was about a good home.... I am proud of that judge.. .I hope he has someone to do his leg work... I am sure ODR has some very good qualities, but I am concerned that they outbid people who really want to make a difference, END PETLESSNESS... And IMO they will exploit and find financial gain where ever possible, even at the expence of a lonely little pup, who just wants a warm bed vs a cold kennel until 'the price is right'. Not impressed!
 @Stardancer WOW. I knew they were brokering dogs, but really? Bidding wars on CL? Just wow. That is not a rescue behavior, that is a money-making Oregon Doxie Rescue dog flipping scheme and is against the TOU on CL. The pets section is for re-homing pets on CL for a modest fee, not selling and not flipping pets. I notice on the ODoxieR website Jenell seeks volunteers to troll CL for her to get doxies from the unsuspecting so she can re-sell them. No other rescues that I know of whether it be cat, dog or bird rescues in this area do THAT.
 @whirledworld  @Stardancer I wish that I didn't find this so totally easy to believe.  Sometimes I want my mother to come back to life, just so I can watch her and hope to learn how to "not know" things you just don't want to know.  Don't misunderstand, I loved my mother a lot.  But the refusal to "know" things that are painful is a dying art ..Â
I'll introduce you to my mother SilverGuardian. She is the queen of "ignorance is bliss."
Oh and by the way.... GO OBIE... You can do it buddy!!!! We are all cheering you on!!!!