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Cheems Balltze, the dog behind viral meme, dies. People mourn

Cheems Balltze, one of the most famous dogs on the Internet, died at the age of 12. People have taken to social media to pay their tributes.

Published on: Aug 20, 2023, 11:58:36 IST
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Balltze aka Cheems, the dog who turned into a viral meme, has died after battling cancer. An official statement was issued on the Instagram page dedicated to the dog sharing about his sudden demise. Since then, netizens have taken to social media to pay their tributes to this dog of the Shiba Inu breed.

The image shows viral meme dog Cheems Balltze who passed away. (Instagram/@balltze)
The image shows viral meme dog Cheems Balltze who passed away. (Instagram/@balltze)

What does the Instagram post say?

“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," reads the first few lines of the post.

"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 is complete. 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 share further explains.

The post also extends a note of thanks to the doctors who treated the dog in his last days. It ends with a few words of gratitude addressed to the netizens for showing their “love and support” to the dog. The post is complete with a series of images of the dog.

Take a look at this entire post about Cheems:

Several people took to the comments section to express their sadness over the news. Many wrote “RIP” to share their reactions to the news. “RIP buddy, you brought a lot of people happiness,” posted an Instagram user. “Was Balltze a good boy? He was the best,” added another. “His legacy will live one forever, thanks for everything ball ball,” expressed a third. “Sleep good Cheems, thank you for the laughs little buddy,” commented a fourth. “My condolences, you gave him a wonderful life and brought joy to millions in the process, bless you in these hard times,” wrote a fifth.

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More