Kabosu, the Shiba Inu that inspired the "doge" meme and became the face of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency, has died at the age of 18, her owner announced.

Kabosu had been battling leukemia and liver disease and passed away on May 24, 2024. Her owner, Atsuko Sato, shared the news on her blog, expressing gratitude to Kabosu's fans. "She quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her," Sato wrote. "I think Kabo-chan was the happiest dog in the world, and I was the happiest owner."

Kabosu's real birthday was unknown, but Sato estimated her age at 18. Kabosu's journey to internet fame began in 2010, two years after Sato adopted her from a puppy mill where she was slated to be put down. Sato, a teacher from Sakura, east of Tokyo, posted a picture of Kabosu crossing her paws on the sofa on her blog. The image quickly spread to the online forum Reddit and became a viral meme, known for using broken English to humorously convey the inner thoughts of Shiba Inus like Kabosu.

The "doge" meme became so popular that it later inspired the creation of Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency that started as a joke by two software engineers. Despite its humorous origins, Dogecoin grew to become the eighth-most valuable cryptocurrency, with a market capitalization of $23 billion. The image of Kabosu as "doge" even became an NFT digital artwork that sold for $4 million (£3.1 million).

Dogecoin gained the backing of high-profile figures such as hip-hop star Snoop Dogg, Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, and most notably, billionaire Elon Musk. Musk frequently jokes about Dogecoin on X (formerly Twitter), boosting its value and referring to it as "the people's crypto."

Kabosu's influence extended beyond the internet and cryptocurrency. In late 2022, she fell seriously ill but made a remarkable recovery, which Sato attributed to the "invisible power" of prayers from fans around the world. In a recent interview with AFP, Sato mentioned that she had become accustomed to "unbelievable" events. When Musk changed the Twitter icon to Kabosu's face last year, she "wasn't even that surprised."

In November 2023, a $100,000 statue of Kabosu and her iconic sofa, crowdfunded by the crypto organization Own The Doge, was unveiled in a park in Sakura. Sato and Own The Doge have also made significant charitable contributions, donating over $1 million to Save the Children, which the NGO noted as "the single largest crypto contribution" it has ever received.

Kabosu's legacy continues to live on through her contributions to internet culture, cryptocurrency, and charitable causes, marking the end of an era for one of the most beloved memes in history.