It’s crazy to think about how a simple Doge meme impacted the world. The fact that Dogecoin was created in 2013 as a joke and is now the 8th biggest cryptocurrency in the world just proves its influence. A meme based on a peculiar rescue dog holding billions of dollars of market value speaks volumes about the strange phenomenon of internet memes. 

But now the Doge fandom commemorates the Shiba inu dog, Kabosu, passing away. Its 62-year-old owner, Atsuko Sato, a kindergarten teacher from the city of Sakura in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, confirmed the news on May 24.

"She quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her," Atsuko Sato wrote on her blog. "I think Kabo-chan was the happiest dog in the world. And I was the happiest owner."

Kabosu has been fighting leukemia and liver disease since late 2022. As a rescue dog, her real age was unknown, but her owner estimated her to be 18—past the average lifespan for such a breed. 

The dog’s family hosted a farewell party to celebrate Kabosu on May 26 in Narita City at Flower Kaori in Kotsu no Mori. More than 250 fans attended, including media outlets from the Middle East and Germany.

Many people brought photos, stuffed toys, and wore T-shirts with Kabosu’s image, showing just how much influence the dog had on people. Dogecoin also paid tribute to its inspiration on X, saying she was a "being who knew only happiness and limitless love."

“Ever since Kabosu came into my home, a series of miraculous things have happened, enriching my life and gifting me with a treasure trove of priceless moments,” Sato told a Japanese newspaper.

The canine mascot made the owner very proud. In fact, last year, in November, a $100,000 statue of Kabosu funded by fans was unveiled in a park in Sakura.

Both the dog and the owner are also known for helping those in need. In 2021, Sato raised more than 500 million yen for children’s rights groups in Japan and beyond by auctioning Kabosu’s photos. Moreover, she would bring her furry friend to kindergartens to cheer up the children who were excited to pet and play with her. 

Kabosu’s and her owner's journey to fame started with just an ordinary picture taken one day in 2010. It was uploaded to Sato's blog and later shared on Reddit, where it gained massive attention.

To her, there was nothing special about the image. “I took the photos to update my blog,” she said. “I take a lot of pictures every day, so that day was nothing out of the ordinary. Kabosu loves having her photo taken, so she was delighted to have the camera pointed towards her,” she told the Know Your Meme website.

“A friend found it on an online news site and told me about it,” Sato said. “When I first found out about the Kabosu memes, I was very surprised. I was terrified at the thought that just one photo I had casually posted on my blog could spread all over the world to places I didn’t know.” 

To this day, she remains baffled by such internet fame. “I didn’t know anything, and I still don’t really understand."

The Doge meme has become one of the most recognizable memes on the Internet. The intentional misspelling is commonly credited to an episode of Homestar Runner, an animated comedy series.

The memes include Kabosu lying on the couch with her paws crossed and wearing a side-eyed expression. Typically, this format features short phrases imitating the dog’s inner thoughts with grammatical errors such as “Very winter. Many freeze.” In 2013, it was even ranked as the top meme of the year.

This adorable pooch has been featured in everything from Swedish transportation campaigns to Doge-themed Easter eggs created by Google and YouTube. In April 2023, Elon Musk replaced Twitter’s blue bird logo with a picture of Kabosu after he bought the social media platform.

Musk is clearly one of the fans of this iconic puppy, joining those mourning her death. He posted a picture of Harrambe, another late meme animal, hugging the dog in heaven.