Kabosu: Shiba Inu Behind World’s Famous Internet ‘Doge’ Meme Dies at Age of 18

Kabosu the Shiba Inu, behind the world’s famous internet ‘doge’ meme, died at the age of 18 earlier this week. Details of the famed dog’s death came after its owner, Atsuko Sato, published a blog post on Friday, May 24. The Japanese meme dog started to gain popularity in 2010 after Sato posted on her blog a photo of Kabosu, who was photogenic to resemble a curious look just like a human.

Eventually, the photo was picked up by Reddit users at that time and went viral on different social media platforms, including Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter (currently X). With an edited version of the picture and the inclusion of different texts, Kabosu further stormed the internet between 2012 and 2013 when distinct versions of the doge meme circulated online and international media.

Kabosu the Shiba Inu Dies

In her blog post on Friday, Sato announced the death of Kabosu the Shiba Inu, describing the dog “fell into a deep sleep” and “passed away quietly.” There was no mention of any disease or illness experienced by Kabosu, who is believed to have died of natural causes or because of old age by dog standards. The owner also said she would hold a farewell party for “Kabo-chan” on Sunday, May 26.

The news of the internet meme star has drawn various sympathy messages, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk who expressed his grief on Friday following the death of the Shiba Inu dog. Internet users also offered their condolences to Kabosu, which for over a decade inspired the doge meme and even the creation of a cryptocurrency called “Dogecoin” with a logo that shows the face of the departed dog.

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Doge Meme

The doge meme pertains to the slang term “doge” derived from the word “dog” and is associated with a certain photo of Kabosu with a curious-looking appearance. Since Sato’s photo was uploaded on her blog, the owner reportedly did not expect the sudden fame received by her pet, which she took into her home in November 2008 after being rescued by a volunteer group.

Despite the popularity of the doge meme photo worldwide, Kabosu and Sato, who is a kindergarten teacher from the city of Sakura, Japan, lived a quiet life. Furthermore, even after more than 11 years since it became viral, the doge meme is still being edited and shared online with different captions for various uses, including comments on world events, pop culture, and even politics.

Kabosu is not the only animal who became an online sensation in the age of social media. Also, a decade ago, an American internet celebrity cat called Tardar Sauce, nicknamed Grumpy Cat, became viral as well due to her seemingly permanent “grumpy” facial expression. This internet cat meme involves photos of Tardar with an often sarcastic caption on a particular person, subject, or event.

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