On May 24, the internet sensation the dog which inspired a generation of online jokes and became the face of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency, took his last breath.
Japanese Shiba Inu, Kabosu, who was 18 when she died, was suffering from cholangiohepatitis and chronic lymphoma leukaemia since 2022.
Kabosu’s owner, Atsuko Sato, announced the demise in a poignant poem on her blog, which read, “She quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her,” wrote Sato, expressing gratitude to Kabosu’s fans. “I think Kabo-chan was the happiest dog in the world. And I was the happiest owner.”
Taking to X, Dogecoin paid tribute to Kabosu.
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…
— Dogecoin (@dogecoin) May 24, 2024
Kabosu and her owner
She was a pedigree dog who ended up in an animal shelter after her puppy mill shut down. In 2008, she was adopted by Atsuko Sato, a Japanese kindergarten teacher.
The teacher named her after the citrus fruit kabosu because she thought the dog had a round face like the fruit.
In Japan, the pet-owner duo primarily gained fame for their blog, “Taking a Walk with Kabosu-chan.” As of December 2013, it was Japan’s fourth most popular pet-related blog instead of its worldwide internet sensation, Doge. 
Sato, 66, described her pet as the “happiest dog in the world” and said her presence made her the “happiest person to have her.”
Along with her poem, Sato wrote in her blog that the night before her death, she ate “her rice and drank plenty of water, as usual.” She further informed that a farewell party for “Kabo-chan” will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on 26 May in Narita City, Japan.
Kabosu’s Internet Journey
The journey began in 2010 when her photo of sitting on a sofa with crossed paws and a slight smirk first appeared in a blog post by Sato. Later, variations of these pictures, with overlaid Comic Sans text, went viral on Reddit and Tumblr.
The picture was posted on a Tumblr blog called Shiba Confessions. A Reddit user referred to the viral image as “Doge,” which is an intentional misspelling of dog.
She became the dog behind the “doge” meme, which gained significant traction in late 2013 and was named Know Your Meme’s “top meme” of that year.
The viral picture of the Doge meme also became an NFT digital artwork and was sold for $4 million. The image also inspired Dogecoin, which began as a joke by two software engineers and is now the eighth-most valuable cryptocurrency with a market capitalisation of $23 billion.
The picture also touched the cryptocurrency market as it led to the formation of cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and FLOKI. 
The Dogecoin cryptocurrency is worth £18bn and is beloved by Elon Musk.
Kabosu, the Doge meme dog, passed away this morning. She was 19. The doge that inspired millions to Do Only Good Everyday 💔 pic.twitter.com/XIMr4RM1gb
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) May 24, 2024
To the X post, Elon Musk commented, “Rest in peace.”
