Kabosu, the beloved Shiba Inu associated with the iconic “Doge” internet meme, has passed away following after struggling with cancer.
In a statement shared in both Japanese and English, the owner of Kabosue, Atsuko Sato, wrote, “To all of you who loved Kabosu, On the morning of the 24th of May, Kabosu crossed the rainbow bridge. Thank you all so much for your support over the years.”
Kabosu, a Shiba Inu, rose to fame in 2013 when a picture of her with her enigmatic facial expression circulated on Sato’s blog. Internet users quickly embraced Kabosu as “Doge,” sharing her photos alongside brief phrases, often in simplistic English, and reaction words like “wow,” intended to represent a dog’s hypothetical inner thoughts.
Kabosu’s popularity even spurred the creation of the cryptocurrency DogeCoin in December 2013.
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Per GMA:
The internet-famous dog behind the iconic “Doge” meme has died, according to an announcement shared Friday on the canine’s official Instagram account, run by her owner Atsuko Sato.
“To all of you who loved Kabosu, On the morning of the 24th of May, Kabosu crossed the rainbow bridge,” the statement, shared in Japanese and English, read. “Thank you all so much for your support over the years.”
Kabosu, a Shiba Inu, went viral in 2013 after a photo of the light golden brown dog and their inscrutable facial expression was shared on Sato’s blog. Internet users quickly dubbed Kabosu as “Doge” and photos of Kabosu would get shared along with short phrases, often in broken English and reaction words, like “wow,” meant to illustrate what a dog’s internal monologue would hypothetically say.
Kabosu even inspired the launch of the cryptocurrency DogeCoin in December 2013.