Kabosu, the shiba inu dog that starred in countless memes and inspired the Dogecoin cryptocurrency, has died, according to her owner.
Kindergarten teacher Atsuko Sato, 62, posted a poem on her blog Friday confirming the news and thanking "everyone who loved her."
"At 7:50 a.m., she fell into a deep sleep," she wrote. "She quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her." Kabosu was adopted, but Sato, who is from the city of Sakura in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, believes she was around 18 years old.
In 2010, Sato posted a photo of Kabosu giving a quizzical, side-eye expression, on her blog, and by 2013 it spread across the internet, spawning "Doge" memes. The memes used Kabosu's image overlaid with words of amazement and wonder meant to be the dog's inner monologue, often in broken English, such as "much wow" and "such freeze, much frosty."
In December 2013, two software engineers created the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, inspired by Kabosu, but what began as a joke became the first "meme coin" is now one of the top 10 most valuable cryptocurrencies in the world, with fans including billionaire Elon Musk.
"The impact this one dog has made across the world is immeasurable. She was a being who knew only happiness and limitless love," the official Dogecoin account posted on X, formerly Twitter. "Please keep her spirit and her family in your heart, and most importantly carry her with you as your story continues - we are all fortunate for hers to have touched and shaped ours."
In 2021, non-fungible token, or NFT, of Kabosu's image sold for $4 million. She became famous in her hometown of Sakura, with a bronze statue unveiled earlier this year.
