Much wow, such farewell. Kabosu, the Shiba Inu behind the iconic “doge” meme, took her final nap on Friday at her home in Japan. The pleasant pooch, who became the face of the logo of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency was 18.
Atsuko Sato, Kabosu’s owner, confirmed the dog’s death in an email to the New York Times.
“On the morning of the 24th of May, Kabosu crossed the rainbow bridge. Thank you all so much for your support over the years,” Sato wrote on Instagram. “She went very peacefully without suffering, as if falling asleep while feeling the warmth of my hands petting her.”
Kabosu became an internet sensation after a photo of the rescue dog, posted by Sato on her blog in 2010, went viral. Meme-makers added rainbow Comic Sans text over Kabosu’s side-eyed glance and crossed-paws pose, capturing the pup’s inner thoughts with short, quirky phrases like “much wow” and “such happy.”
Of course, the meme known as “doge” was born. The intentional misspelling is frequently attributed to a 2005 episode of Homestar Runner, an animated comedy web series.
The meme gained renewed popularity with the introduction of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin in 2013. Originally a joke to mock cryptocurrencies, the coin’s value surged years later after Elon Musk, a prominent Dogecoin supporter, tweeted about it.
The Internet Mourns the Passing of Kabosu
The internet could not let one of the pillars of memes pass without a salute. “Pouring one out for my homie Kabosu,” one fan wrote. “Kabosu is dead. Long live Kabosu,” a second fan added.
On Friday, Musk shared a meme depicting Kabosu being embraced by an angel winged Harambe, the late gorilla from the Cincinnati Zoo who also became an internet sensation. “OG Doge has ascended to heaven to be with [her] friend Harambe,” Musk captioned the image.
“He’s with Harambe now. Rest in POWER!,” another Kabosu lover agreed.
The official X account of Dogecoin also paid tribute to the world-famous Shiba Inu’s passing with a heartfelt post on Friday. “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,” it wrote.
According to the New York Times, the beloved dog had been in ill health for some time. In 2022, Sato said Kabosu was diagnosed with chronic lymphoma leukemia, a type of cancer, and acute cholangiohepatitis, which inflames the liver.