Deceased Dogecoin Shiba Inu... Spotlight on Reunion with Owner [Japanese Side]

Shelter Care After Breeder Closure... Waiting for Euthanasia Before Adoption
"Don't Want to Use for Profit" Donation via NFT... Global Fans Continue Mourning

When it comes to Japan, Shiba Inu dogs are quite famous. Especially, the Shiba Inu with a grumpy expression featured in the cryptocurrency Dogecoin is well known to us. Recently, in Japan, the Shiba Inu that became the model for Dogecoin passed away, making headlines nationwide. The story that drew particular attention was how this dog, originally a stray about to be euthanized, formed a bond with its owner.

This week, we introduce the touching story of Kabosu, the Shiba Inu known as Dogecoin that moved the Japanese archipelago, and her owner. Oh, and just to clarify in advance, in case anyone wonders if the reporter owns Dogecoin to write this article: I do not have any Dogecoin.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Kabosu passed away on the morning of the 25th at 7:50 AM at the age of 18. This corresponds to about 90 years old in human age. The Asahi Shimbun named Kabosu "the most famous Shiba Inu in the world." The name Kabosu comes from a fruit specialty of Oita Prefecture in Japan, which looks like a green citrus.

Quoting the Japanese media directly, Kabosu was originally on the verge of being euthanized at an animal shelter. Kabosu was initially a dog bred by a breeder for breeding purposes. When Kabosu was about three years old, the breeder went out of business, and Kabosu, along with 19 other Shiba Inus, was taken to an animal shelter. When the other Shiba Inus were about to be euthanized, an animal protection group in Chiba Prefecture called "Chibawan" rescued Kabosu.

Karvos in 2016 playing along with a cat's mischief. (Photo by Karvos Blog)

Chibawan posted on their website looking for a new family for Kabosu. At that time, Atsuko Sato, who lives in Chiba Prefecture, saw Kabosu’s picture. Ms. Sato originally had a Shiba Inu named Gen-chan, who passed away two years before meeting Kabosu. While enduring her grief, Ms. Sato was immediately drawn to Kabosu’s smiling face on the website. She then decided to bring Kabosu home.

At that time, Kabosu was in poor condition due to the harsh environment, with bad fur quality and very thin. Even at Ms. Sato’s house, Kabosu always had a frightened expression and would watch people from a corner. With Ms. Sato’s devoted care, Kabosu gradually opened her heart and later got along well with the stray cats Ms. Sato brought home, becoming a member of the family.

Ten years ago, Ms. Sato posted a photo of Kabosu on her blog. The photo showed Kabosu sitting on the sofa with her front legs crossed, looking sideways as if thinking about something. In reality, it was a moment when Ms. Sato’s husband was playfully trying to get Kabosu to play, and Kabosu was just nodding her head. This photo changed Kabosu’s fate.

Cats living with Kabos. (Photo by Kabos Blog)

Three years later, Ms. Sato received a message from a friend asking if she knew that Kabosu’s photo was circulating on the internet. It had started being used as an internet meme. Especially, it was called "Doge," derived from "Dog," and products using this image began to be sold without Ms. Sato’s knowledge. Eventually, Dogecoin appeared, adopting Kabosu’s face as its logo in the cryptocurrency world. Ms. Sato said to the media, "Kabosu’s photo probably looked funny because of her human-like expression," but also added, "It was scary that a single photo was spreading worldwide." Overseas companies made various proposals to make money using Kabosu, but Ms. Sato refused, saying, "It’s all being used for profit."

Instead, using digital technology to prevent replication or manipulation, Ms. Sato created seven photos of Kabosu as NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and personally submitted them to charity auctions. The original image used for Dogecoin was auctioned for 470 million yen (approximately 4.148 billion KRW), and the total amount from selling the seven photos exceeded 500 million yen (about 4.4 billion KRW). Ms. Sato donated all the proceeds to children’s human rights organizations in Japan and abroad and to international NGOs for building schools in South Sudan, Vietnam, and other places.

Since then, global attention to Kabosu has never ceased. In April last year, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, temporarily changed the blue bird logo of X (formerly Twitter) to the Dogecoin image, and in November of the same year, a statue of Kabosu was erected in Chiba Prefecture with donations from fans worldwide.

The Kabosu statue in Chiba Prefecture. A bouquet of flowers has been placed to commemorate Kabosu. (Photo by Kabosu Instagram)

However, as Kabosu aged, she began to suffer from health problems. In December 2022, she was diagnosed with acute cholangitis and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, causing jaundice and becoming critically ill. Photos posted on the official Instagram showed Kabosu’s eyes turning white due to cataracts as she aged, showing a different appearance from before. Despite fans’ hopes for her recovery, she eventually crossed the rainbow bridge. On the 26th, the day after Kabosu passed away, a brief farewell gathering was held with fans.

Ms. Sato reminisced, "Miracles worthy of the name happened one after another after Kabosu came home, enriching my life."

Even after Kabosu’s passing, the memorial fervor from fans worldwide continues on official Instagram and YouTube. The special story between the owner and Kabosu, which cannot be reduced to economic logic like Bitcoin, seems to shine even brighter. We sincerely hope Kabosu is happy in the dog star realm.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.