Kabosu, the adorable Shiba Inu who rocketed to internet stardom as the face of the ‘doge’ meme, has passed away at the grand old age of 18.
Truly, she was the best of dogs!
Even casual internet browsers will likely recognize Kabosu’s face, perhaps without even knowing her real name.
This Japanese Shiba Inu became a viral sensation over a decade ago, thanks to a legendary image of her cheeky side-eye, which captured hearts everywhere.
The photo soon evolved into the ‘doge’ meme, complete with its hilariously quirky captions that fit just about any daily annoyance or joy.
Encountering terrible weather? Just a ‘wow very rain’ moment, according to doge.
Caught in a bumper-to-bumper traffic? ‘Much car,’ doge would commiserate.
Kabosu’s face has been reimagined with sunglasses, superimposed onto loaves of bread, and even used as the emblem of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, which began as a playful riff.
After brightening up our days for years, Kabosu’s health sadly began to wane, with diagnoses of leukemia and liver disease.
Her owner, Atsuko Sato, broke the heart-wrenching news on Instagram today (24 May).
“To all of you who loved Kabosu, on the morning of the 24 May, Kabosu crossed the rainbow bridge,” Sato shared.
“Thank you all so much for your support over the years. She went very peacefully without suffering, as if falling asleep while feeling the warmth of my hands petting her.”
The heartfelt message continued: “Thank you all so much for loving Kabosu all these years. I am certain Kabosu was the happiest dog in the world. That makes me the happiest owner in the world.
“I would like to express my deepest appreciation to everyone who has sent us much love to us.”
Sato, a dedicated teacher in Japan, rescued Kabosu in 2008 after she ended up in an animal shelter.
It’s hardly surprising that her passing has unleashed a wave of tributes from doge meme lovers worldwide, with many flocking to Instagram to express their sorrow.
“She was not a good girl. She was the best girl,” mourned one admirer on the announcement post.
Another added: “RIP beloved Kabosu. You gave her a wonderful life and thank you for sharing her with us and bringing everyone so much joy through doge.”
While Kabosu’s departure is bittersweet, this Shiba Inu enjoyed a beautifully long and joyful life, well beyond the typical lifespan of 13–16 years.