Goodbye, Cheems: Iconic Dogecoin Meme Pooch Succumbs To Leukemia At Age 12

The sudden death of “Cheems,” the beloved Shiba Inu dog who became a viral meme, has left the internet world in mourning. The celebrity dog, who was “Pup Balltze” in real life, won over the hearts of internet users all over the world because of its cuteness and lovability.

Cheems became famous because of a lot of popular social media posts, such as the famous “Dogecoin” memes. Sadly, he died at the age of 12 during leukemia surgery. People from all over the world have been sending respects and tributes to the beloved pooch.

Baltze was adopted by a certain “Kathy” in Hong Kong when he was just one year old. In 2015, when he got his own Instagram account, it set the stage for his internet stardom. Kathy used this site to share photos of Cheems that showed his different looks and feelings throughout the day.

Baltze a.k.a. Cheems" the meme dog. Source: Instagram

Cheems, The Internet Sensation 

In 2019, the pooch became a huge online star after a photo of him looking clearly unhappy went viral on the web. People who wanted to express their own feelings of worry or insecurity in different scenarios connected with this image.

The dog’s popularity grew even more as the meme culture took off on social media sites. This led to the creation of an NFT collection based on his “Cheemsburger” jokes.

Cheems’ distinctive nature was summed up by the fact that he always liked cheeseburgers, which led to him getting his viral moniker.

DOGE market cap remains in the $9 billion level. Chart: TradingView.com

The Face Of Dogecoin

Even though another Shiba Inu called Kabosu became the face of the “Dogecoin” movement, which Elon Musk often supported, Cheems’ image continued to be a big part of many memes, either by itself or alongside Kabosu.

Cheems’ owner posted on Instagram the sad news that he had died. She asked the canine’s fans not to dwell on their sadness but instead to remember all the happiness it brought to the world.

Balltze, aka Cheems, has left us. This funny yellow dog brought joy to so many. We will miss you, @Balltzehk. 😪 pic.twitter.com/NcLEkA4IyB

— 🐶 NELSON (@PupperNelson) August 19, 2023

The post talked about how the Shiba Inu, with its round face, had brought comfort and joy to many people, especially during the hard times of the pandemic.

The dog’s health problems eventually caused him to need surgery, after which he died. Even though Cheems wanted to keep getting medical help, fate got in the way, and he passed away during his last procedure.

In a heartwarming move, Cheems’ owner promised to give the gifts and money raised for his medical bills to local animal charities instead.

Although Cheems is no longer alive, his memory goes on, and his owner thinks that he is now “flying through the sky with new friends” and enjoying tasty treats.

“He will always be in my heart,” she said as a touching ending.

Meanwhile, here are some tributes from the meme dog’s fans:

Featured image from Instagram