Meme Doge dog critically ill with cancer, owners report

Terry Oh
Doge dog dying

The viral sensation Shiba Inu Kabosu, also known as Doge, is currently critically ill with cancer at the age of 17, the beloved dog’s owners report.

Many people are familiar with Doge, one of the most viral animals in history.

Her picture was the face of the iconic Doge meme from the 2010s, which then morphed into many spinoffs including Doge Coin, a cryptocurrency that blew up in 2021.

Though immortalized through these mediums, the dog behind Doge, Kabosu, has continued to age, reaching 17 years old in November. Behind the dog’s international fame and viral memes is simply an owner who loves her dog dearly, and takes great joy in sharing her dog’s charm.

The owner, Atsuko Satō, maintains a blog where she regularly posts Japanese blog updates on Kabosu. On December 28, she announced Doge Dog’s sickness on the blog alongside on Instagram. The news quickly gained traction.

She posted an English update for Kabosu’s international fans, which stated “Kabosu’s disease names are acute cholangiohepatitis and chronic lymphoma leukemia. Right now, the liver level is very bad and jaundice appears.”

Fans from across the world send her words of support to both Atsuko Satō and Kabosu.

“It’s gonna be [alright], you have the world praying for you, stay strong Kabosu!” balltze, another dog Instagram account commented.

“The fact that she is still eating and drinking is a good sign. When they give up and stop that’s when you know they’re close,” another added.

Atsuko Sato remains hopeful towards the situation. “But antibiotics will definitely improve. Kabosu has an appetite. She can also drink water,” she posted.