Beloved dog Kabosu who inspired famous ‘doge’ meme and Dogecoin dies at 18, fans say ‘your iconic smile brought joy to millions’

TOKYO, JAPAN: Kabosu, the dog who became wildly popular for the “doge” meme, died on May 24, aged about 18 years.

Kabosu’s owner, Atsuko Sato, shared the unfortunate news on her blog about Kabosu’s passing. 

Kabosu was suffering from leukaemia

The dog became a breakout social media star in the 2010s and the face of multiple internet jokes and trends. Her owner shared that the Japanese shiba inu was suffering from leukaemia and liver disease and passed away on May 24.

Thanking Kabosu’s fans, she wrote on her blog, "She quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her.”

Sato added, "I think Kabo-chan was the happiest dog in the world. And I was the happiest owner," per BBC.

Kabosu’s journey with Sato was nothing short of a fairy tale. A teacher from Sakura, east of Tokyo, Sato rescued Kabosu from a puppy mill in 2010. Though the dog’s actual age is not known, Sato estimated it to be around 18. 

While Kabosu's rescue story is heartwarming in itself, she was destined for even more love and adulation from people all over the world.

After rescuing the canine, Sato took the famous photo of her dog crossing her paws while sitting on the sofa. She shared it on her blog from where the picture made its way to Reddit and subsequent online platforms. 

The picture further became an NFT digital artwork that sold for $4m (£3.1m). It also became the inspiration behind Dogecoin, the eighth-most valuable cryptocurrency with a market valuation of $23bn.

Kabosu’s picture received further validation from billionaire and X owner Elon Musk who has been a vocal supporter of Kabosu. 

Last year, Musk even changed the microblogging site’s profile to the ‘doge’ face for a brief time. 

Kabosu's popularity increased the rate of adoption of rescue animals in Japan and she became the unofficial mascot of rescue animals.

Sato has mentioned on her blog that they would “be holding a farewell party for Kabo-chan on Sunday, May 26th".

Fans heartbroken at Kabosu's death

Fans were left heartbroken at Kabosu's death and remembered the iconic dog's influence on culture.

One of the fans shared on social media, "Omg noooooo, this is a loss for the culture."

Someone else added, "The way she is too iconic and a part of my childhood 😭😭."

The third fan mourned, "Rest in heaven Kabosu. You were a good girl. Thank you for being such a big part of our internet culture. ❤️."

"Rip to a mother….! Doge will never be forgotten," added the fourth.

"Rest in peace, Kabosu. Your iconic smile brought joy to millions. You will be missed," mourned another fan.

Someone else added, "Oh my god. That’s sad 😔 May his soul rest in peace. He lives with us through the memes."

Another social media user added, "It’s a reminder that even our favorite internet icons have their time."

"Pop Culture takes another loss man 💔 2013 legend," recalled another fan. 

Meanwhile, another user observed, "She lived for 93 human years and had a full life. 🐶."

Someone else noted, "18 years is extraordinarily long. hope she lived a happy and full life."

"Omg rip 🪦 🕊️ you were such a legend to meme culture," declared another.

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