Much sad: Kabosu, the real-life Shiba Inu that was the basis for the popular "doge" internet meme - and became the face on the logo of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency - has died. She was 18.

Three years later, Sato learned from a friend that Kabosu’s photo had become a meme online. Kabosu had been nicknamed “Doge,” a play on the word “dog,” and clothes and purses using her ...