SAKURA, Japan – Kabosu, the Japanese Shiba Inu whose image launched a thousand memes and inspired the Dogecoin cryptocurrency, has died after 14 years of bringing joy to the internet.
Her owner, Atsuko Sato, announced the news, stating that Kabosu passed away peacefully on May 24.
“She quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her,” Sato wrote on her blog, expressing gratitude to Kabosu’s fans worldwide. “I think Kabo-chan was the happiest dog in the world. And I was the happiest owner.”
Kabosu, whose exact age was estimated to be around 18, had been battling leukemia and liver disease.
Despite her health struggles, Kabosu’s legacy remained vibrant until the end.
She was originally rescued from a puppy mill in 2008, narrowly escaping euthanasia.
In 2010, Sato, a teacher from Sakura, east of Tokyo, snapped a photo of Kabosu with her paws crossed on the sofa.
This image was posted on her blog and quickly went viral, spreading to the online forum Reddit.
It became the foundation of the “doge” meme, characterized by humorous captions in broken English that purported to reveal Kabosu’s inner thoughts.
The meme’s popularity rose steeply, transcending college dorm rooms and office spaces.
It evolved into a digital artwork, selling as an NFT for $4 million, and inspired the creation of Dogecoin.
Initially a joke by two software engineers, Dogecoin grew to become the eighth-most valuable cryptocurrency, boasting a market capitalization of $23 billion.
Dogecoin attracted endorsements from various celebrities, including hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg and Kiss bassist Gene Simmons.
Its most known supporter, however, has been billionaire Elon Musk.
Musk’s tweets and jokes about Dogecoin on the social media platform X have repeatedly influenced its market value, dubbing it “the people’s crypto.”
In late 2022, Kabosu’s health took a downturn with a diagnosis of leukemia and liver disease.
However, Sato credited the “invisible power” of global fans’ prayers for Kabosu’s perseverance during that period.
In a recent interview with AFP, Sato, 62, shared that the constant stream of extraordinary events in Kabosu’s life had left her unfazed when Musk changed Twitter’s icon to Kabosu’s face last year.
Kabosu’s impact extended beyond memes and cryptocurrency.
Last November, a $100,000 statue of Kabosu on her iconic sofa was unveiled in a Sakura park, funded by Own The Doge, a crypto organization dedicated to the meme.
Both Sato and Own The Doge have contributed significantly to international charities, including a record-breaking donation of over $1 million to Save the Children, marking the NGO’s largest crypto contribution to date.
Kabosu’s life and legacy will continue to resonate with millions, leaving behind a paw print on the internet’s heart that won’t soon fade.
