Pup Balltze aka Cheems – the dog featured in numerous viral social media posts, including many ‘Doge’ memes – has died at the age of 12 after a battle with cancer.
Cheems’ owner announced the tragic news in an Instagram post early Saturday (Aug 19) morning, writing, “Don’t be sad, please remember the joy that Balltze brought to the world. A Shiba Inu with a round smiling face connecting you and me, he has helped many people during the pandemic and brought a lot of joy to many of you, but now his mission has completed.”
Cheems was going through his last round of thoracentesis surgery on Friday (Aug 18) when he passed away. The owner said there were plans in place to begin chemotherapy or other treatments after the surgery, but “it is too late now.”
Cheems shot to fame in 2019 after a picture of him looking uncomfortable was widely shared online by users wishing to express their own discomfort or weakness in various scenarios.
Cheems is also frequently shown enjoying cheeseburgers in memes, usually pronounced “Cheemsburgers,” as users tend to insert an extra “m” into words on his image.
The Cheemsburger memes have even sparked their own NFT collection.
A different Shiba Inu named Kabosu became the face of the “Dogecoin” movement supported by Elon Musk, but many of the memes also use Cheems’ image either on its own or alongside Kabosu.
As news of Cheems’ death has circulated around the Internet, many fans have posted memes or messages honoring his memory.
Cheems’ owner added that the donations and money from merchandise she collected to help with medical bills will be now given to local animal charities.
“I believe he is running freely in the sky and having a lot of delicious food with his new friends,” she added. “He will always be inside my heart.” – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
Pup Balltze, also known as Cheems, who gained fame as the adorable dog featured in numerous viral social media posts and popular ‘Doge’ memes, has unfortunately passed away at the age of 12 after a battle with cancer.
Cheems’ owner announced the heartbreaking news through an Instagram post on Saturday morning, urging fans not to be sad but to remember the joy that Balltze brought to the world. The post described Cheems as a Shiba Inu with a round smiling face that connected people and had brought immense happiness to many during the pandemic. However, now his mission has been completed.
Cheems was in the midst of his last round of thoracentesis surgery when he unexpectedly passed away. Although plans were made to initiate chemotherapy or other treatments following the surgery, it was determined to be too late.
The dog rose to fame in 2019 when a picture of him looking uncomfortable became widely shared online. Users often used the image to express their own discomfort or weakness in various scenarios. Additionally, Cheems became known for enjoying cheeseburgers in memes, frequently referred to as “Cheemsburgers,” as users humorously inserted an extra “m” into words on his image.
The popularity of Cheemsburger memes led to the creation of their own NFT collection. Furthermore, while a different Shiba Inu named Kabosu became the face of the “Dogecoin” movement, supported by Elon Musk, Cheems’ image was often used in memes either on its own or alongside Kabosu.
As news of Cheems’ death spread across the Internet, many fans paid tribute by posting memes or heartfelt messages to honor his memory.
Cheems’ owner also mentioned that the donations and funds collected from merchandise sales to support medical bills will now be donated to local animal charities.
“I believe he is running freely in the sky and having a lot of delicious food with his new friends,” she added. “He will always be inside my heart.” – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
Credit: The Star : Tech Feed
