Kabosu, the Shiba Inu who inspired the “Doge” meme behind the Dogecoin cryptocurrency, has died

Kabosu, the Shiba Inu behind the infamous “Doge” meme and the face of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, has died, his owner announced Friday. She was 18 years old.

The puppy “crossed the rainbow bridge” in her sleep while at her home in Japan and with her owner, Atsuko Sato, petting her.

“She left very peacefully without suffering, as if she fell asleep feeling the warmth of my hands caressing her,” Sato said in an Instagram post. “I’m sure Kabosu was the happiest dog in the world. That makes me the happiest dog owner in the world.”

Account X for dogecoin also posted a tribute to Kabosu, saying she died peacefully “in her arms.”

“The impact of this dog across the world is immeasurable. He was a being who knew only happiness and love without limits,” we can read in the message. “Please keep her spirit and that of her family in your heart, and above all, carry her with you throughout your story. We are all lucky that she touched and shaped ours.”

Kabosu’s life with Sato began in 2008 when the kindergarten teacher adopted the dog from an animal shelter. Like many dog ​​parents, Sato started posting photos of the quizzical pup on Instagram and stories about him on his blog, but it was one particular photo that took Kabosu from an internet starlet to a global icon.

The photo shows the Shiba Inu crossing her paws on a sofa with her round head tilted a little as she looks out of the corners of her eyes in a somewhat mischievous manner, with her “eyebrows” raised. The image quickly began spreading across the web, from Reddit to Twitter to YouTube to Tumblr. The Doge meme was born, usually attached to an inner monologue, a sort of grammatically incorrect caption like “so scared” or “very happy.”

Then, in 2013, a digital currency called Dogecoin was created as a joke using Kabosu as its mascot. Meant to mock other cryptocurrencies, it is now the eighth most valuable after a 2021 boom that made some investors millionaires. Elon Musk even mentioned adding Dogecoin as a payment method for Twitter subscriptions.

But in 2022, Sato said the famous puppy fell ill with leukemia and liver disease. She recently told AFP that Internet fans and their “invisible power” had helped her get through it.

Fans now have to say goodbye to the beloved pup. A public farewell party for Kabosu will be held Sunday in Narita from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sato said.