Kabosu, the beloved internet Shiba Inu who went viral as a meme in 2013 and was later branded as as the “doge” meme, has died “peacefully” in her Tokyo home on Friday. She was 18 years old.
Kabosu’s owner, Atsuko Sato, announced the news of her death in an Instagram post.
“To all of you who loved Kabosu, On the morning of the 24th of May, Kabosu crossed the rainbow bridge,” Sato wrote on Friday. A photo of Kabuso was coupled with the caption.
“Thank you all so much for your support over the years. She went very peacefully without suffering, as if falling asleep while feeling the warmth of my hands petting her. Thank you all so much for loving Kabosu all these years. I am certain that Kabosu was the happiest dog in the world. That makes me the happiest owner in the world. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to everyone who has sent us much love to us.”
In the early 2010s when the cryptocurrency trend was in its very early beginnings, there arose Kabuso, who quickly became the face of the dogecoin. While dogecoin serves as cryptocurrenty like Bitcoin or Ethereum, it was originally created as part of a joke between cryptocurrency specialists, who used Kabuso’s furry face as its brand image. The digital currency has been supported by the likes of several well known investors, including billionaire entrepreneurs Mark Cuban and Elon Musk.
Her iconic photo shows Kabuso laying down on a couch with her paws crossed looking side-eyed at the person taking her photo.
Kabuso had one battle with her health in 2022 when she became sick with liver disease and leukaemia. Sato, who works as a kindergarten teacher, adopted the pooch from a dog shelter. She was originally sent there by a Shiba Inu breeder who closed down their business.
