Kabosu, the iconic Japanese Shiba Inu that sparked the world-famous “dog meme,” has passed away. Kabosu’s owner, Atsuko Sato, announced her beloved dog’s death in a blog post. Reportedly, she said, “She passed away peacefully, as if in her sleep, while I was petting her.” She also thanked fans for showering so much love on the dog.
According to the Times of India, a farewell ceremony for Kabosu will be held at Flower Kaori in Narita City’s Kotsu no Mori from 1pm to 4pm on Sunday.
According to Know Your Meme, Japanese kindergarten teacher Atsuko Sato posted several photos of her adopted Shiba Inu puppy, Kabosu, on her blog on February 13, 2010. One of the photos that became a hot topic was a strange one in which Kabosu was seen reclining on a sofa, eyebrows raised and gazing sideways at the camera.
Kabosu became known as “Doge” after a misspelled word was used to refer to a dog during the June 24, 2005, puppet show Homestar Runner.
Technology news site The Verge ran an article in December 2013, shortly after Doge became popular, acknowledging Sato’s Kabosu as the first Shiba Inu to appear in the meme. In addition to Kabosu, The Verge also recognized San Francisco photographer Jonathan Fleming’s pet Shiba Inu, Suki, as the dog wearing the scarf in another famous example of the meme.
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