Description:
You haven't lived until you've met Oompa Loompa. He is the sweetest, FATTEST Lhasa Apso I have ever seen. My daughter often helps me with naming our rescues. Some time ago she came up with the name Oompa Loompa (from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory) but made me promise to hold it until we got a short fat dog. Well, when I went with Judy to Seminole County Animal Control to pick up some dogs and out trotted this guy, I cried, "Oompa Loompa!" Everyone laughed and he wagged his tail.
This is one sweet guy with a happy, happy face. He has obviously not been taken care of. First, how could someone let a dog get this fat? And his coat is all matted with stuff hanging off of it around his eyes. Really, it just isn't right. We'll get him cleaned up and started on a string beans diet, but his new family is going to have to promise me that they won't give him any more french fries! He reminds me of Meeko, an obese Fox Terrier that I fostered. Like Meeko, he is so fat it hurts him to be picked up and he growls. But gosh, he's so fat it hurts my back to pick him up!!! Once Oompa Loompa is cleaned up and drop half his body weight, he is going to be one handsome guy. He is only 8 years old, not old for a Lhasa Apso, but I am going to qualify him for our Seniors for Seniors program, whereby his adoption fee will be just $50 to a senior citizen. I just want this fellow to get into a loving home before he turns into a foot stool!


7/21 Foster Update: Oompa Loompa is SOOO cute! He now looks NOTHING like the "before" photos that are on his page since he is now shaved and looks like he lost a good 10 lbs just from fur! He is sooo well behaved! Slept in the car on the ride home.... got adjusted to his surroundings immediately and is ignoring the cats (what an angel!) He's now resting in his bed since we spent a while sitting outside getting some fresh air. He's not too much of a walker.. perhaps after he sheds some of his pounds he will like to walk around more, but all in all he's a sweetheart!!!! Everyone kept coming up to him commenting on how cute he is... he loved the attention!

7/22 Foster Update: Well, this guy impressed me! I put him in his crate last night and he barked for a little bit, but then when he realized I was NOT coming to get him, he finally quieted down and went to sleep. He was in there from 11:00 last night and I went in at 6:00 this morning to take him outside and I actually had to WAKE him up! He was lying in the crate as if to say "Sorry foster mommy, I'm not quite ready to get up yet". So I sat with him for a bit and pet him and then finally picked him up and brought him outside. We came in and he had his breakfast which consisted of green beans (we are trying to get his weight down) and he LOVED them!! He sat with me while I got ready for work and played with his toys. It's now 8:00 p.m. and this little mush is lying next to me on my sofa and I have him all wrapped up in my blanket and he's LOVING his life right now. He's snoring his head off and it sounds oh so cute! He's my buddy! PERFECT LAP DOG!


According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, the land of Tibet was the home of the Lhasa Apso - the breed taking its name from the sacred city of Lhasa. For at least two thousand years the breed was only bred in Tibet by holy men and nobles. It was used as a watchdog in temples and monasteries, and was considered sacred, for when its master died, his soul was thought to enter the Lhasa Apso's body. Although they were thought to bring good luck to their owners, Lhasa Apsos were virtually impossible to buy. Happily these very precious dogs, and the equally prized Tibetan Terrier, spread to other parts of the world, mainly because the Dalai Lama. Tibet's ruler would pres