Obese Dog Loses 66 Pounds After Being Removed from His Home

If you think it is not possible for your dog to lose weight, think again because Barney, the Dalmatian, is living proof that overweight dogs can indeed lose weight and become healthy again. According to People Pets, Barney used to weigh 154 pounds which is a lot more than his breed standard calls for.

The eight year-old Dalmatian became overweight due to a poor diet of fatty treats and chocolate bars - chocolate is toxic to dogs by the way, click here to learn why. Of course Barney didn't walk into a store and get those treats himself; no, his owner was responsible for that part. Poor Barney was so overweight that it became difficult for him to walk. Fortunately for Barney, the RSPCA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) took him away from his home where he was being severely over-fed.

According to the report, the dog's former owner, John Green, apparently admitted that he caused unnecessary suffering by failing to address the cause of Barney's obesity. Hence the reason the British court banned Green from keeping animals for 10 years. The court even ordered Green to perform 200 hours of volunteer work and pay the equivalent of $1,300. And to think Michael Vick only received 23 months.

Removing Barney from his home was not what the RSPCA had wanted to do; however, Rachel Andrews, an RSPCA inspector, relayed that Green was given advice to put Barney on a diet and take him to the veterinarian. Green failed to heed the advice, and with Barney's weight increasing and his health decreasing, the RSPCA ultimately made the decision to remove the dog from his home.

So what does Barney weigh now?Only 88 pounds thanks to six months of diet and exercise - see, he had to lose weight the old fashioned way, just like the rest of us. Now that Barney is active and healthy, he is available for adoption at the Halton & St Helens Branch Animal Centre in the United Kingdom.

*To learn about obesity in dogs, click here.