New Delhi: Kabosu, the iconic Shiba Inu dog who inspired the viral “doge meme” and the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, passed away on Friday at the age of 18. The Japanese dog had been suffering from leukaemia and liver disease, after enjoying a decade of internet fame as the face of the viral “Doge” meme that later became Elon Musk’s favourite cryptocurrency, India TV reported.
“She quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her,” Atsuko Sato wrote in her blog, thanking the fans of her dog called Kabosu, the face of the “Doge” meme.
While dealing with a terminal illness, Kabosu died ‘quietly’ in her sleep in the lap of her owner, Atsuko Sato. The night before Her death, she ate “her rice and drank plenty of water, as usual,” Sato wrote in her blog. Satao defined her pet as the “happiest dog in the world” and her presence made her the “happiest person to have her.”
“Today Kabosu, our community’s shared friend and inspiration, peacefully passed in the arms of her person. The impact this one dog has made across the world is immeasurable. She was a being who knew only happiness and limitless love. Please keep her spirit and her family in your heart, and most importantly carry her with you as your story continues – we are all fortunate for hers to have touched and shaped ours,” said Dogecoin on X.
Kabosu was a Shiba Inu dog who rose to fame with a viral photograph, which led to the origin of the Doge meme. Her name is derived from a type of Japanese citrus fruit. The viral photo also sent ripples in the cryptocurrency market as it led to the formation of cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and FLOKI. Atsuko Sato adopted Kabosu in 2008 when she was sent to an animal shelter after her puppy mill shut down. Kabosu’s journey to become an internet sensation began in 2010 when her photo with crossed paws and a slight smirk went viral on Reddit and Tumblr. A Reddit user referred to the viral image as “Doge”, which is an intentional misspelling of dog.
The viral picture of Doge meme also became an NFT digital artwork and was sold for $4 million. The image also became an inspiration for Dogecoin, which began as a joke by two software engineers and now stands as the eighth-most valuable cryptocurrency with a market capitalisation of $23 billion.
Last year, Elon Musk changed the logo of Twitter with the popular photo of Kabosu, causing the price of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin to skyrocket.
