The past few years have been rough for a morbidly obese dachshund named Obie, but things are finally looking up for the newly slimmed-down dog.

The 7-year-old dachshund became the face of the pet obesity epidemic in 2012 when photos of him surfaced showing a 77-pound dog whose belly dragged along the ground because he was about double the recommended weight for his breed. His mission to lose weight has inspired national media coverage, his own website, and even his own Facebook page.

Obie was able to lose approximately 40 pounds after a veterinary technician in Portland, Ore., adopted him from his previous owners - and won a subsequent courtroom custody battle - then put him on a diet and exercise regimen that helped him shed the extra weight, according to Nature World News.

After losing all of the weight, Obie was left with excess skin hanging off his body. That's when his owner took him to get a tummy tuck that removed 2.5 pounds of extra skin.

According to Obie's current owner, Nora Vanatta, he weighs around 35 pounds after the surgery, which is close to his target healthy weight of 28 to 30 pounds, she said in an interview with a local news station.