Kabosu: Japanese dog that inspired 'doge' meme dies aged 18

The dog that inspired the logo for cryptocurrency Dogecoin has died aged 18, after enjoying fame as a viral meme for more than a decade.

Kabosu, the Japanese shiba inu, died on Friday morning after suffering from leukaemia and liver disease, her owner has confirmed.

Her image became a meme after a photo of her sitting with crossed paws and a suggestive, knowing glance to the side went viral.

Atsuko Sato, Kabosu’s owner, wrote on Instagram that the pet, which she adopted from a Japanese rescue centre in 2008, had “crossed the rainbow bridge”.

She wrote: "She went very peacefully without suffering, as if falling asleep while feeling the warmth of my hands petting her.

"Thank you all so much for loving Kabosu all these years.

"I am certain Kabosu was the happiest dog in the world. That makes me the happiest owner in the world.

"I would like to express my deepest appreciation to everyone who has sent us much love to us."

Ms Sato, a teacher, took on the dog after Kabosu was sent to a shelter once the puppy mill she was staying in closed down.

The original photo of the smirking dog spread on Reddit and Tumblr after an initial post in 2010. Dogecoin was named after the deliberate misspelling of ‘dog’, which itself is a reference to puppet comedy Homestar Runner.

Kabosu’s image was then used to represent Dogecoin and the logo is now widespread, even briefly being used by Elon Musk as his profile photo on Twitter.

Dogecoin is now a sponsor of Watford Football Club.