The internet mourned the loss of Kabosu, the Shiba Inu dog who became the face of the "doge" meme and Dogecoin cryptocurrency, in late May 2024. Kabosu passed away peacefully at 18 years old after battling leukemia and liver disease.
Kabosu's internet fame began in 2010 with a photo of her tilted head, raised eyebrows, and curled paws. The image, captioned in Comic Sans with broken English ("wow", "such doge"), exploded into a viral meme phenomenon. "Doge" became synonymous with online humor, with Kabosu's face adorning countless photoshopped images.
In 2013, the "doge" meme transcended the internet when it inspired the creation of Dogecoin, a lighthearted cryptocurrency featuring Kabosu's image on its logo. Though initially intended as a joke, Dogecoin gained a dedicated following and even reached a market cap of nearly $24 billion before Kabosu's passing.
Kabosu's owner, Atsuko Sato, a kindergarten teacher, remembered her beloved dog as a happy and loving companion. While Kabosu is gone, her legacy lives on in the enduring "doge" meme culture and the Dogecoin cryptocurrency, a reminder of the unexpected ways the internet can turn a pet into a global icon.