Kabosu, the Shiba Inu dog who became the face of the “doge” meme, died on May 24, 2024, at the age of 18. Her owner, Atsuko Sato, a kindergarten teacher from Sakura, Japan, announced the news on her blog.
Kabosu’s image first went viral in 2013, with the meme typically featuring the dog with a side-eyed look and captions in Comic Sans font expressing emotions like “wow” and “amaze” in broken English. The meme gained immense popularity and was used to comment on current events, pop culture, and even politics.
Sato said in a blog post, translated by AFP, that Kabosu “quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her.” Sato added, “I think Kabo-chan was the happiest dog in the world. And I was the happiest owner.”
Kabosu’s image transcended the meme world and became the face of Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency. An NFT (non-fungible token) of the image sold for $4 million in 2021. Dogecoin paid tribute to Kabosu on Twitter, calling her “a being who knew only happiness and limitless love.”
Sato adopted Kabosu from a puppy mill in 2008. The dog’s exact age is unknown, but Sato estimated her to be around 18 years old.
The famous image of Kabosu was taken in 2010 and uploaded to Sato’s blog. Sato told the Know Your Meme website in 2020 that the picture was ordinary and Kabosu “loves having her photo taken.”
Kabosu was diagnosed with leukemia and liver disease in 2022. Sato told AFP that the “invisible power” of prayers from fans worldwide helped Kabosu pull through.
In recognition of Kabosu’s fame, a statue of her and her sofa was unveiled in a park in Sakura in November 2023. The statue was crowdfunded by Own The Doge, a crypto organization dedicated to the meme. Sato and Own The Doge have also donated to charities, including more than $1 million to Save the Children, according to the NGO.
