Cheems, the dog who became an internet sensation for his derpy smile, died on Saturday at the age of 12. His real name was Balltze, and he was a Shiba Inu. He was diagnosed with leukemia in December 2022 and has been undergoing treatment ever since. He died during a surgical procedure to remove fluid from his chest cavity.
Cheems became famous in 2017 when a photo of him went viral. The photo showed him sitting in a chair, looking at a cheeseburger, with a confused expression on his face. The photo was captioned "Doge," and it quickly became a popular meme. Cheems's face became synonymous with the word "doge," and he was featured in many other memes over the years.
Cheems's death was mourned by his fans all over the world. The pup's owners say, "Don't be sad, please remember the joy that Balltze brought to the world. A Shiba Inu with a round smile 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 been completed."
“I believe he is running freely in the sky and having a lot of delicious food with his new friends. He will always be in my heart. I hope he can continue to bring joy to everyone in the online world, that’s my only humble request," the owner added in the post.
“He is a legend of the Internet world, a meme founder, and now, he is immortal. Rest in love, sweet Ball Ball; you were and are loved by billions all over the world," lamented one user on Balltze's post.
Cheems's legacy will live on through the memes that he inspired. He will be remembered as one of the most popular internet dogs of all time.
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