Kabosu, the Shiba Inu dog who became the internet’s beloved “doge” meme, has died at the estimated age of 18. Her owner, Atsuko Sato, announced the news on her blog, revealing that Kabosu passed away peacefully on May 24th after battling leukemia and liver disease.
“She quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her,” Sato wrote, expressing her gratitude to Kabosu’s fans. “I think Kabo-chan was the happiest dog in the world. And I was the happiest owner.”
A rescued pup, Kabosu’s exact birthdate remains unknown. In 2010, Sato, a teacher from Japan, shared a photo of Kabosu adorably curled up with her paws crossed. The image quickly spread across the internet, taking root on Reddit and evolving into the widely recognized “doge” meme.
The meme typically featured Kabosu and other Shiba Inus with grammatically nonsensical captions expressing their inner thoughts in broken English.
Kabosu’s fame transcended memes. Her image was later sold as a digital artwork for a staggering $4 million and became the inspiration for Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency initially created as a joke. Dogecoin, now the eighth most valuable cryptocurrency, boasts celebrity endorsements from Snoop Dogg and Gene Simmons, with Elon Musk as its most vocal advocate.
Kabosu battled illness in late 2022, and Sato credits the “invisible power” of global fan support for her strength during that time. The “unbelievable” events surrounding Kabosu continued in 2023 when Elon Musk briefly changed Twitter’s profile picture to an image of the Shiba Inu.
Last year, a $100,000 statue of Kabosu and her signature sofa, crowdfunded by a crypto organization, was unveiled in a park in Sakura, Japan. Sato and the organization have also donated generously to charities, including a record-breaking $1 million donation to Save the Children.
Kabosu may be gone, but her legacy lives on in the hearts of internet meme enthusiasts and Dogecoin holders everywhere.
