Overweight dog at center of custody lawsuit
PORTLAND, Ore. – A 70 pound dachshund is at the center of a custody battle.
Obie the obese dog captured national attention as his caretaker, Nora Vanatta, put him on a diet.
Vanatta said Oregon Dachshund Rescue owner Jenell Rangan filed a lawsuit this week, claiming 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.”
Vanatta said Obie is getting healthier, having lost 15 pounds in the last two months. She's collected thousands of dollars in donations for Obie from supporters, and said the money is being used for his care.
Vanatta believes everything that’s happened to Obie in the past two months is only beneficial.
“He’s famous and he’s touched so many people and I think they regret not taking him on in the first place,” Vanatta said.
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.
Vanatta told KATU News there was never any paperwork or verbal agreement exchanged between the two parties about Obie’s ownership. She said she doesn't believe Obie is now hers, but she doesn't think Oregon Dachshund Rescue has a claim to him either.
Jenell Rangan did not agree to a formal interview with KATU News, but said she believes Obie belongs to her and Vanatta is not providing good care.
All parties are expected to appear in court Monday morning.
“I just want what’s best for him,” Vanatta said. “And he’s doing well here. It just doesn’t make sense to take him away now.”
The "ODR volunteer" no longer volunteers for ODR and is actually going to court with Nora. She has all the paperwork and emails as proof that Janelle never had ownership of the dog. As a matter of fact, when the dog was offered to Janelle, she said she did not want the dog. I know this for a fact because the volunteer is a friend of mine.
Janelle tried to pull that on me too. But I told her off and she backed down.
To add a little to what rwthw (my boyfriend) is saying, we have experience dealing with ODR, as we adopted what we thought was an adorable 2-year-old dachshund who "loves all people, dogs, and cats" and was "well trained" according to them. Jenell seemed overwhelmed and eager to pass this dog off to us without even meeting with us beforehand. Long story short, the dog, although adorable and loving (to us only), had severe fear aggression and separation anxiety. I understand that these are common issues for rescue dogs, but the level of this particular dog's issues far exceeded anything I have ever dealt with (and I have worked at a vet and shared a home with dogs my whole life). He would go ballistic, lunging and trying to attack every dog and/or person we would pass in public on our walks. He attempted to attack a few of our friends' faces, nearly bit a child in the face at a park (while on a leash), and ended up biting me so hard that I bled for 30 minutes. His separation anxiety (which we tried patiently to remedy with positive-reinforcement training and peanut butter filled Kongs) was so severe that he would shriek loudly for 4 hours (the length I was at work) nonstop, causing our neighbors a lot of headaches, and destroyed large portions of our carpet. Jenell claimed they never saw these issues when he was in their care which I find hard to believe. They advised us to return the dog, claiming they think he has "neurological issues." We were not given a refund and are out over a grand. Â Now they have him listed for adoption again, claiming he "gets along with other dogs, and is a non-barker" none of which is true, and they don't mention any of the other severe issues the dog has. What always struck me as a red flag, was that we were made to sign a legal contract at the time of adoption that stated ODR is the "Legal Owner" of the dog and the adopter is merely his "Caretaker" and if ODR suspects the dog isn't being properly cared for, they can sue for custody. Nora wasn't even given this contract - why do they think they can sue for ownership of this poor dog? It is clear that Nora is doing a great job and has Obie's best interests in mind. In dealing with Jenell and the rescue, it became apparent that they are very strapped for cash and time at the moment and Jenell sent out a lot of e-mails to adopters asking for donation money. However, that does not give you an excuse to wrongly sue and try to take a dog from a perfectly good caretaker once you found out how much donation money she acquired for his health costs, just so you can turn around and try to take Nora's credit. That lady is a piece of work.
/What is it they say...possession is 9/10's of the law? Â Sorry, ODR, but go ahead and prove that this Nora is mistreating the dog. Â I'd like to see you try. Â
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And really, do you think you'll continue to get the donations from the fame Obie has gotten after this stunt? Â You should have left well enough alone and be glad you found someone to care for him so well.
ODR has a policy of not issuing any refunds under any circumstances. I'm not going on record to say what we had to deal with, but I can tell you that I'm out over a $1000 in "donation fees" and destroyed property because it was not shared with us of this particular doxie's deep-seeded troubles (that needed professional help and out of the scope of 2 regular animal lovers) that were omitted during the conversation or entirely false.
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As far as this goes, one can see the reasons behind the custody dispute. The rescue (and in general, all rescues) are severely cash-strapped and survives by these donations. It's not like the owner of the rescue would be squandering the money for personal gain, it would be funneled into the rescue. Still, the way it's going, even if ODR does regain custody, their vibe is going to be shot to hell.
Jenell, I can not believe you don't think Nora s taking care of Obie. How dare you even think that. If she wasn't he would not have already lost that much weight. Why don't you back off and let Obie live a HAPPY and HEALTHY life where he is at. You did not want him in the beginning so leave him alone, please!
What a frigging joke!! Please!! Someone help this overweight dog. Nora steps up to the plate, takes care of the dog and knows how to use the publicity. What, the dog is making money!!!!!! Now Jenell wants him back. You snooze, you lose Jenell.
Anybody that would let that poor dog get that fat should be charged with animal abuse!
 @Elaine2 The owners of the dog had dementia and were feeding the dog all the time. A friend of theirs was able to get the dog away from them as that person knew they were killing the dog. The former owners did not do this on purpose. They were just not mentally fit to have a dog.
@fremonster, @macDachshund - yes, I posted before I read later way down the list about the dementia. And fremonster, I'm sure I didn't really sentence them to prison with my comment. Sheesh.
 @Elaine2 Also, the former owners had dementia and couldn't remember if she had fed the dog. Still want her to be charged with cruelty? You should do a little research before you start calling for people to be charged with crimes. Poor people were old and didn't know any better.
 @Elaine2 Obesity is actually a very common health struggle for Dachshunds and their owners.
Why not do this with today's kids?
Dispatch911, the dog was originally owned by an elderly couple with dementia. They couldn't keep track of who had fed him last and when...and they couldn't resist his pleading eyes. No one did this to the dog on purpose, and Nora is trying to help him. Oregon Doxie Rescue's representative needs to just go away and leave Obie alone. She's a money grubber and fame whore who is jealous of the attention Obie has gotten.Â
So SAD to think someone would have let this dog become that obese.Â
What a piece of work that rescue lady is. This woman not only took in a dog with health problems sight unseen, but is actively trying to help him and has achieved helping him lose 15 pounds. Dachsunds can not afford to be fat! It destroys their backs because they just can't support that extra weight. Good for her for helping him and making it public and bringing awareness to the issue that a dog who is obese like that is NOT a well taken care of dog and is being neglected the way a malnourished dog is. I think rescue lady just wants in on some of the action and is jealous.
 @Julia Since you sound like you have some knowledge of dachsund physiology I'll ask you this, as a general health question and not judging either side of this battle: Fifteen of 70 pounds (according to the story as of this post time) is roughly 21-22 percent of the dog's body weight, dropped in two months.
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While obviously the weight needed to come off as soon as safely possible, is it safe for any creature, human or otherwise, to lose that much that fast? Again, no judgments of the competency of the rescuer, just a general health question for anyone reading this who has an overweight furry friend. Thanks for any insight you might have!
 @MargeGunderson  @Julia Nora is very well educated in this area, and I've gotten the impression that she's being very careful with Obie's health:  https://www.facebook.com/notes/biggest-loser-doxie-edition/obies-story/356640104413192
 @MacDachshund  @jenn  @MargeGunderson  @Julia May I ask why you think the owner has the dog on a crash diet? I'm not criticizing, just curious.
 @jenn  @MargeGunderson  @Julia If you put a dog on a crash diet you will kill them. Ask any Vet.
I am SO in support of Nora, I pray a good lawyer steps up to this situation. Â She has helped this dog so much.
Here's Obie's facebook page, for anyone interested: Â https://www.facebook.com/BiggestLoserDoxieEdition
My GOD - If the original owner is still alive, they should have been charged with animal cruelty for making that poor dog so fat. Overfeeding an animal is just as abusive as starving them. Disgusting. Dachsunds are chow hounds, prone to getting chubby if owners let them eat all of the time and anything they want.  By letting him get so big, his lifespan has been cut in half.Â
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Hope the little guy continues to improve.
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As to the lawsuit - seems odd that the Dachsund Rescue would attempt to sue Nora for neglect and expliotation with irrefutable proof of their allegation. If Nora can prove through vet bills and receipts for the care of this dog that the money is, in fact being used for his benefit, I don't see where Dachsund Recsue would prevail. The ownership aspect is problematic as theere is nothing in writing to support Nora's statement other than a verbal agreement (were there witnesses?), and because she says that she is not his owner, he could be sent back to Dachsund Rescue.Â
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What a mess.
 @Smokin Bear Janelle tried this with a dog that I have. Claimed she was going to contact her Lawyer and all. I "got in her face" over the phone and she backed down.
@Smokin Bear
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The original owners were elderly and at least the woman had dementia and couldn't remember when she had fed the dog, so continued to feed him. Please read Obie's story on the facebook page:
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https://www.facebook.com/BiggestLoserDoxieEdition
@Colleen Miller - Thank you for the info. Shame that the owner had no support person who could have helped look after Obie.
 @Smokin Bear By the same token, maybe we should start arresting parents for "child cruelty" for making their children so fat. Unfortunately, it's still legal to be fat.
@Stock Woodie - You've got a point, but this is about a dog not children. Let's stay on topic, K?
It's nice to see our court system is being used for something so important... a custody battle over a dog. Way to go!
It is important. It's basically a property dispute. If someone was trying to take something from you that you believed was yours, wouldn't you want it sorted out through the proper channels?Â
Most  rescue groups are broke due to vet bills.That being said , One would think the rescue group would be happy not have the burden of vet bils.
And it seems now they want the notoriety and the financial donations this is bringing in. How pathetic. Who is exploiting who now?
 @InMyOpinion They most likely only want the money donated for Obie's care.
 @InMyOpinion exactly !!!!
Like I said in this story (http://www.katu.com/news/local/Custody-battle-over-dog-may-now-be-heading-to-court-Chase-Bear-162303226.html) - who is the better parent should keep the dog? Pay for healthcare? Feed the dog (which is not a problem in this case)? Pick up their crap instead of letting other people step on it? etc.
 @komosux In the case of Chase the new owner Jordan stole chase. She wants to bring God into it then God sent her to watch over Chase while he was lost. The selfishness of people still amazes me. Give the dog back.
Look at Obie's Facebook page, videos and the comments --nearly 10,000 on his petition-- and you'll see Nora has been providing excellent care for him. This Jenell Rangan from the rescue organization just wants Obie's money and not what is in the dogs best interest. Obie's story has brought joy to his over 65,000 followers and we all can see how wonderfully he is doing.
Jenell Rangan is just a greedy jerk. Shame on her for uprooting Obie. It's so obvious he's cared for. If anyone's going to be exploiting Obie it's going to be Jenell not Nora! Nora's right, they want him back because he's famous and she wants money. She doesn't deserve to be running a rescue org and I hope they kick her worthless butt out. She's just a money-grubbing fool! Nora has done wonderful things for Obie, he's happy and content and it's obvious!
Jenell Rangan has no business running a rescue organization, when the animals welfare is clearly not a top priority to her. She should be ashamed of herself.  Money hungry twat.  Go check out Obies facebook page for yourself, and you'll see they have not asked for money, love him, and are taking excellent care of him.
This pup has lost 15 pounds after a lifetime of being overstuffed. He is content, by the pictures above, and looks totally well-adjusted. IMHO, the ODR folks are realizing they cannot exploit him to their benefit and are wanting him back. If there was no contract stipulations that said Nora couldn't take Obie's plight to the media, then why are we here? Obie is with his family, human and puppy alike, and is where he needs to be. Any upheaval in his life could be hazardous to his health.
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Wow. News.
@T-Prop ---Peggy Bunker did the same thing (filed a crazy lawsuit over dogs) maybe because this story hits home for Peggy, KOMOÂ ran with it....that or KOMO is a 2nd rate tabloid rag, desperate for attention.
Poor dog! :( Dachshunds are notorious beggars. Too bad someone just couldn't say no! That out of the way, if he's doing well with Nora, then that's where he should stay. He's got a LONG way to go to be a healthy dog and starting over in a new home could slow down the process and the stress could actually kill him.
 @chuckh0308 I assume you have a doxie by your avatar.  What do you think that sling is that Obie is in?  Something to contain his fat so he can 'somewhat' walk?  Poor little, er, big, guy.  I wonder how old he is.  No white hair yet.  Ours was about 8 when he threw his back out and he was probably underweight then because he ran around so much.  That's a real danger here.
It's to protect his skin if I remember correctly. I read it on his facebook page somewhere.
 @Shelly Oh, that makes a lot of sense.  Thanks for the clarification.
I've been following Obies story since he appeared on our TV over here in Australia. Â Not once has Nora requested anything, it has been Obies fans who have offered financial assistance, the T-shirts to show we all belong to 'Team Obie' and the updates to know how Obie is going with his huge weight loss challenge. Â To date Nora has done nothing but offered and supplied a caring, loving enviornment, the expert treatment and care that is required to help Obie. Â She has never sought 'fame and fortune' but because Obie is such a cutie and we all feel for and have fallen in love with him his story has spread worldwide. Â Sadly this appears to now be working against him. Â This totally smacks of sour grapes from Ms Rangan, who now sees what publicity this would've brought to her rescue centre. Â Well she's getting publicity now, worldwide and ALL negative. Â Why is it people so many people see $$$ signs at every opportunity? Â It's so tragic for all the other dogs requiring rescue and rehoming. Â Â In short Obie HAS to stay with Nora and see this journey through together - you only have to look at Obies eyes to see the love and trust for Nora. Ms Rangan needs to think of the greater good and not her wallet!GO OBIE!! - we love you in Western Australia!!Â
 @Liz Higgins You are so correct, That rescue just wants the money period.  Obie has NO say what so ever, he is so happy where he is I have been following this since day one.Â
@Liz Higgins Exactly my thoughts. The rescue is seeing how people are sending in money to help care for this dog and the rescue wants the money for themselves. To say that Nora has been neglecting him is so low, anything they can do to get the dog away from her so the donations will come to them. To use a dog this way is just terrible, they don't have the dog's best interests at heart, they just see a cash cow.
Rangan sounds just like a money-hungry fool! She didn't have the resources to take on the dog so why the sudden change of heart if it isn't for all the donations made to the dog. What a POS.
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The dog should stay with Vanatta. He;s used to it there and he is thriving. Leave the dog alone you heartless greedy jerk!