hairAbosu, the Japanese Shiba Inu that rose to fame as the face of the “Doge” meme and inspired one of the largest cryptocurrencies, has died at the age of 18. She “passed away peacefully” while being petted by her owner, Atsuko Sato, who shared the news in a blog post on Friday.
Kabosu went viral in 2013 and became one of the biggest memes of the year after a 2010 photo of the animal crossing its paws and looking sideways went viral. This iconic expression also led to the creation of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, and Kabosu was named one of Time magazine's “100 Most Influential Animals” in 2016 and “Meme of the Decade” by website Know Your Meme in 2019.
“Since Kabosu came to our home, one miraculous thing after another has happened, enriching my life and giving me a treasure trove of irreplaceable moments,” Sato, a 62-year-old childcare worker who adopted Kabosu from a shelter around 2008, told a local newspaper. Asahi Shimbun During February.
Kabosu previously suffered from leukemia and liver disease and fell into critical condition in 2022. Sato said on social media that a farewell party for Kabosu would be held on Sunday in the Tokyo suburb of Narita.
Launched in 2013, the Kabosu-inspired cryptocurrency Dogecoin is widely considered to be the world's first “meme coin.” Featuring a logo depicting Kabosu's iconic facial expression, the currency is currently one of the most popular cryptocurrencies and received a major boost in April 2023 when Elon Musk jokingly changed the Twitter logo to Dogecoin.
“The impact this one dog has had on the world is immeasurable,” Dogecoin said in a post by X paying tribute to Kavos. The company also announced it would be giving away a limited-edition NFT collection in Kavos' honor. (In 2021, a Doge NFT sold for a record-breaking $4 million.)
Kabosu has become something of a local legend since her name spread by word of mouth. Sato says tourists from all over the world have traveled to her hometown in Chiba prefecture to catch a glimpse of the dog. And last November, a bronze statue of Kabosu, built with donations from fans, was unveiled in her hometown.
In 2021, seven photos of Kabosu were auctioned, raising more than 500 million yen ($3.2 million), with the proceeds donated to child protection organizations in Japan and abroad.
Kabosu's death comes less than a year after the death of another internet-beloved Shiba Inu, Hong Kong's Cheems Boltse. Kabosu and Cheems often appeared together in another popular meme, “Swole Doge vs. Cheems.”
Philip Fong—AFP/Getty Images
“Thank you so much for loving Kabosu all these years,” Sato wrote on Friday. “I'm sure Kabosu was the happiest dog in the world, so I'm the happiest owner in the world.”
