Internet sensation Kabosu, the Shiba Inu of ’Doge’ meme fame, passes away at 18; owner announces farewell party

Kabuso, the popular dog behind Dogecoin and several other meme tokens passed away on Friday. Her owner, Atsuko Sato, shared the news of the 18-year-old dog's death in a blog post. Named Shiba Inu, the dog became an internet sensation by creating the “Doge” meme.

"She quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her," Atsuko Sato wrote in her blog, thanking the fans of her dog called Kabosu, the face of the "Doge" meme.

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The dog owner also said a farewell party will be held for Kabo-chan on Sunday, May 26. The party will be held in Nara City, Japan, from 1 to 4 p.m. According to media reports, Kabosu was diagnosed with cholangiohepatitis and chronic lymphoma leukaemia in 2022. 

While dealing with a terminal illness, Kabosu died ‘quietly’ in her sleep in the lap of her owner, Atsuko Sato. The night before Her death, she ate “her rice and drank plenty of water, as usual,” Sato wrote in her blog. Satao defined her pet as the “happiest dog in the world” and her presence made her the “happiest person to have her.”

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Who is Kabosu?

Kabosu was a Shiba Inu dog who rose to fame with a viral photograph, which led to the origin of the Doge meme. Not only this, the viral photo also sent ripples in the cryptocurrency market as it led to the formation of cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and FLOKI. Atsuko Sato adopted Kabosu in 2008 when she was sent to an animal shelter after her puppy mill shut down. 

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Kabosu's journey to become an internet sensation began in 2010 when her photo with crossed paws and a slight smirk went viral on Reddit and Tumblr. A Reddit user referred to the viral image as “Doge”, which is an intentional misspelling of dog.

The viral picture of Doge meme also became an NFT digital artwork and was sold for $4 million. The image also became an inspiration for Dogecoin, which began as a joke by two software engineers and is now stands as the eighth-most valuable cryptocurrency with a market capitalisation of $23 billion.