Once a wanton wiener dog , Dennis the miniature dachshund went on a diet and is now a happy shadow of his former self after losing more than 75 per cent of his body weight . Less than two years ago , Dennis weighed in at a whopping 56 pounds — about the size of four or five miniature dachshunds . A series of 'before ' photos show Dennis resting on rolls of fat , his head seemingly too little for his blob of a body . He could n't take more than a few steps without being out of breath . Scroll down for video . In this June 2013 photo , Dennis , a dachshund , rests on the ground in Columbus , Ohio . Less than two years ago , Dennis weighed in at 56 pounds and could walk only a few feet without stopping , out of breath . But then Burton rescued him from his previous owner and provided him with a proper diet , exercise and affection . pictured on February 25 , Dennis now only weighs 12 pounds and can freely play in the snow . He has had three skin-removal surgeries to remove the folds of excess skin . Then Brooke Burton adopted him from a relative who had fed him White Castle burgers , pizza and other human food , and did n't pay much attention to the dog 's burgeoning belly . Burton , a 26-year-old nursing student , recalls how emotional she became when she first saw Dennis in June 2013 , and then persuaded her relative to give him up . 'Out comes Dennis , and I could n't believe it , ' Burton says . ' I was n't even sure what breed of dog he was supposed to be because he was so large . ' Burton put him on diet of dry dog food , plus lots of walks and affection . Now the 6-year-old wiener dog is a svelte 12 pounds and happily chasing squirrels in the backyard , playing fetch and bossing around the other three rescue dogs that live with him . 'In the beginning , you could tell he was very depressed , that he really did n't feel good at all , ' Burton says . 'He did n't have much of a personality . After he lost weight , this bossy little demanding man popped out . He 's into everything , he wants to play with everybody . ' Dennis lost so much weight that he started tripping over the folds of excess skin that were left over and getting infections . He has had three surgeries at the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center to get rid of it . The operations cost more than $ 2,800 together and were covered by a GoFundMe page set up by Burton , donations from individuals and the OSU Veterinary Medical Center , according to the Columbus Dispatch . Dr. Kathleen Ham , the veterinary surgeon who performed the operations , says Dennis ' story is a good lesson for pet owners who might feed their animals too much . 'We have an expression : Food is not love , ' Ham says . 'Most of what your pet wants from you is affection and attention . '
Dennis the miniature dachshund lost 75 percent of his body weight . The dog was put on a special diet and given daily doses of medication to help him lose weight. Now Dennis weighs 12lb and has had three skin-removal procedures .