Kabosu, the Shiba Inu breed that inspired the viral “doge” meme and later became the face of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, has died. She was 18 years old.
The beloved dog’s owner, Atsuko Sato, shared on his blog that Kabosu died peacefully in his sleep on Friday morning. According to ABC news, Kabosu died at 7:50 am after falling “into a deep sleep”. The mother dog added: “She was very calm, without suffering, as if she was falling asleep while feeling the warmth of my hands caressing her.”
Sato added that he will hold a “farewell” party in Kabosu’s honor on Sunday.
Kabosu gained worldwide fame in 2013 after his face became the face of cryptocurrency. So much so that Kabosu inspired the launch of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency later that year. Then, in 2021, an NFT (non-fungible token) featuring Kabosu’s face sold for a whopping $4 million.
Sato, a kindergarten teacher in Japan who referred to her cub as Kabo-chan, had previously shared that Kabosu was 2 years old when she rescued him. She told the Japanese outlet Ashahi Shimbun earlier this year, Kabosu, who was almost euthanized before being rescued, enriched her life in many ways.
“Since Kabosu entered my home, a series of miraculous things have happened, enriching my life and gifting me with a treasure trove of priceless moments,” she told the outlet, via NBC News.
Kabosu’s death comes four years after she was diagnosed with leukemia and liver disease. Sato documented Kabosu’s health journey on Instagram. Last December, Sato shared that amid the diagnosis, Kabosu’s “liver level is very bad.”
Sato also shared on his blog, “Thank you all so much for loving Kabosu all these years. I’m sure Kabosu was the happiest dog in the world.
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