Kabosu, the Iconic “Doge” Meme Dog, Passes Away After 14 Years of Internet Fame
Kabosu, the beloved Japanese Shiba Inu who became an internet sensation as the face of the “Doge” meme, has died after 14 years of online fame, her owner announced. Kabosu, who had been battling leukemia and liver disease, passed away peacefully on May 24th.
“She quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her,” her owner Atsuko Sato shared on her blog, expressing gratitude to Kabosu’s many fans. “I think Kabo-chan was the happiest dog in the world. And I was the happiest owner.”
Kabosu’s true birthday was unknown due to her being a rescue dog, but Sato estimated her age at 18. In 2010, two years after adopting Kabosu from a puppy mill, Sato posted a photo of her pet with her paws crossed on a sofa. This image quickly spread from her blog to Reddit, evolving into the viral “Doge” meme that captured the internet’s heart.
The “Doge” memes, known for their humorous, broken English captions, revealed the inner thoughts of Kabosu and other Shiba Inu dogs. This image later became a $4 million NFT digital artwork and inspired the creation of Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency originally started as a joke by two software engineers. Dogecoin has since gained significant popularity and value, supported by notable figures like Snoop Dogg, Gene Simmons, and Elon Musk, who often refers to it as “the people’s crypto.”
Despite falling ill in late 2022, Kabosu was buoyed by the global support of her fans, which Sato credited with helping her pet endure her illnesses. In a remarkable turn of events, Kabosu’s image was even used as the icon for Twitter, now X, under Elon Musk’s direction.
A testament to her lasting impact, a $100,000 statue of Kabosu and her iconic pose was unveiled in Sakura, Japan, last year, funded by Own The Doge, a crypto organization dedicated to the meme. Sato and Own The Doge have also donated substantial amounts to international charities, including over $1 million to Save the Children, marking the largest crypto donation the NGO has received.
Source: BBC
