Kabosu, the dog that became the basis of the popular Doge meme has died at the age of 18. His owner Atsuko Sato said Kabosu died because he had been ill for a long time with an announcement made on his Instagram page.
This Shiba Inu dog became a meme after its photo was shared on Atsuko Sato's blog in 2010. It was taken by Atsuko Sato from an animal shelter after the dog breeding center owned by Kabosu's original owner was closed. Kabosu is the name of a type of lemon used in cooking in Japan.
Kabosu's picture later spread to Reddit and has since become an image synonymous with the doge meme. The expression of his human-like face made him quickly spread to all corners of the internet. His popularity is also the basis of two crypto currencies Dogecoin and Shiba Inu.