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The Japanese dog that inspired the Doge meme and the Dogecoin cryptocurrency has died, his owner reveals
- The Shiba Inu suffered from leukemia and liver disease in the months before his death
- Kabosu was first adopted by Atsuko Sato in 2005 after her puppy mill closed
- The beloved dog would become the face of Twitter for a short time after Elon Musk’s purchase of the social media site
The Japanese Shiba Inu dog whose photo inspired a generation of online memes and the $23 billion Dogecoin cryptocurrency loved by Elon Musk she died on Friday, her owner confirmed.
The dog, named Kabosu, rose to fame more than a decade ago, being shared by millions of people on social media and message boards.
The 18-year-old dog suffered from leukemia and liver disease.
“She died silently, as if sleeping while I caressed her,” Atsuko Sato wrote on her blog.
‘To all of you who loved Kabosu, on the morning of May 24th, Kabosu crossed the rainbow bridge. Thank you all so much for your support over the years,” said Sato, its owner Instagram.
‘She left very peacefully without pain, as if she fell asleep feeling the warmth of my hands caressing her.
The original image of “Doge” rose to internet fame through Reddit and Tumblr posts in the early 2010s. Kabosu (pictured) has risen to internet fame over the past decade, becoming the face of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency. Atsuko Sato holds onto an old Kabosu as they travel to her office in April 2023
‘Thank you all so much for loving Kabosu all these years.
“I am sure that Kabosu was the happiest dog in the world. This makes me the happiest owner in the world.
“I would like to express my deepest appreciation to everyone who sent us so much love.”
Kabosu was adopted by Sato in 2008 after being sent to an animal shelter following the closure of her puppy mill.
The now-iconic image of the “Doge” dates back to a 2010 Reddit post, depicting the smiling dog looking at the camera with his paws crossed.
In subsequent years the image would become one of the most used memes on the Internet, users often posting it alongside messages such as “Wow”. So scare’ and ‘What are you doing?’.
Kaiuto would later become the face of a cryptocurrency called Dogecoin.
The Dogecoin cryptocurrency originally started as a joke before being shared by X owner Elon Musk. Sato even had a plaque made for his beloved dog. Kabosu traveled to work with Sato every day despite his age
Originally started as a joke, the online currency was reportedly shared by X owner Elon Musk before becoming the sleeve sponsor of Watford Football club.
Fans have flooded social media with tributes following Kaiuto’s passing.
One user X wrote: “Oh man. she will forever be an icon.”
While another said: “We say goodbye to the beloved dog behind the iconic Doge meme. Your adorable face has brought joy to millions. Thank you, Kabosu’
And a third added: ‘Rip, we’ll miss you. Thanks for all the loving memes.’
Kabosu briefly became the face of Twitter in April, after Elon Musk changed the site’s logo to reflect the meme.