Kabosu, the famous Shiba Inu behind the “doge” meme, has passed away after enjoying 14 years of internet stardom, her owner shared. This Japanese Shiba Inu, who became a global symbol of humor and the face of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency, succumbed to leukemia and liver disease on May 24.
Atsuko Sato, her owner, lovingly wrote on her blog, “She quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her,” expressing her gratitude to Kabosu’s fans. “I think Kabo-chan was the happiest dog in the world. And I was the happiest owner,” she added.
As a rescue dog, Kabosu’s exact birthdate was unknown, but Sato estimated her age to be around 18 years. In 2010, two years after adopting Kabosu from a puppy mill, Sato, a teacher from Sakura, Japan, posted a photo of Kabosu with her paws crossed on the sofa. This image quickly spread from Sato’s blog to Reddit, becoming a widely recognized meme. The memes, often featuring Kabosu’s inner thoughts in humorous broken English, became a staple of internet culture.
The iconic image of Kabosu later became an NFT digital artwork, selling for $4 million, and inspired the creation of Dogecoin. Originally started as a joke by two software engineers, Dogecoin has grown to become the eighth-most valuable cryptocurrency, with a market cap of $23 billion. It has garnered support from celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Gene Simmons, and most notably, billionaire Elon Musk, who frequently tweets about Dogecoin, influencing its value.
In late 2022, Kabosu was diagnosed with leukemia and liver disease. Sato, in a recent interview with AFP, credited the “invisible power” of global prayers from fans for helping Kabosu through her illness.
Despite the whirlwind of events surrounding Kabosu, Sato, 62, was unfazed when Elon Musk changed Twitter’s icon to Kabosu’s face last year. In November, a $100,000 statue of Kabosu and her iconic sofa, funded by the crypto group Own The Doge, was unveiled in a Sakura park. Both Sato and Own The Doge have donated substantial amounts to international charities, including over $1 million to Save the Children, marking the NGO’s largest crypto donation to date.
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