Cheems, the dog who went viral after featuring in several memes, passed away on Saturday. The news was confirmed by the dog’s owners through a post on Instagram.
The 12-year-old canine's real name was Balltze. The Shiba Inu breed was diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment since the past few months.
“Ball Ball fell asleep on 18/8. He fell asleep on Friday morning during his last thoracentesis surgery. Originally, we wanted to arrange chemotherapy or other possible treatment for him after this operation, but it is too late now,” the puppy’s owners said in a viral post on Instagram.
They also urged people to not be sad and remember the joy that Balltze brought to everyone instead. “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.”
“I believe he is running freely in the sky and having a lot of delicious food with his new friends. He will always be inside my heart. I hope he can continue to bring joy to everyone in the online world, that’s my only humble request,” the post read further.
The owners also mentioned that people had donated money for Balltze and his treatment. Now, the money would go to local animal charities.
The Cheems dog memes were super popular among the masses and depicted Balltze in hilarious animations and scenarios. These memes were a part of the “Ironic Doge Memes”.
Social media users mourned the loss of the Balltze on X and paid tributes to the dog who made them laugh.
"RIP #CheemsBaltze. Thanks for making my childhood awesome," a user wrote. Another user commented, "Safe travels to heaven, Ball Ball, Baltze, Cheems, and whatever other names you had. You were an inspiration to many."
"It's a very sad day. I've been obsessed with Cheems for the past 5 years and it's tragic to see that Balltze has passed," a third user remarked.
“Thank you everyone, thank you. Balltze knows how much he was loved by all of you,” the owners wrote.
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