Atsuko Sato Adopts New Dog Cocoro and Launches Official Token

Atsuko Sato, caregiver of the iconic Shiba Inu Kabosu—the face of the Doge meme—has adopted a rescue dog named Cocoro.

In her announcement, Sato introduced Cocoro, explaining the name comes from “kokoro,” meaning “heart” in Japanese, but she prefers to call her “Koko” or “Coco.”

> Please allow me to introduce our newest family member, Cocoro.
> The name comes from the word “kokoro” which means “heart” in Japanese. However, I will be calling her “Koko” for short and I prefer the spelling “Coco”, so her full name is “Cocoro”.
> — かぼすママ (@kabosumama) March 8, 2025

Sato revealed that she had authorized her community partner “Own The Doge” to create an official COCORO token. Launched on Base, the token reportedly reached a $100 million fully diluted valuation in under an hour, according to GeckoTerminal data.

Sato expressed her frustration about people using images of her pets to create tokens without her consent in the past. With Cocoro, she is partnering with a reliable community to ensure proper support and usage.

> In the past, anonymous people have used my pets’ likeness to launch tokens. This time, I have given my blessing to my supportive community at Own The Doge, who I have previously worked with extensively, to create an official Cocoro token.
> — かぼすママ (@kabosumama) March 8, 2025

Kokoro, the black Shiba Inu, joins Sato’s existing dog Neiro. Following the adoption announcement, the NEIRO meme coin experienced a price drop of approximately 14%, according to CoinGecko.

Own The Doge has committed to ensuring the legitimacy of the COCORO token. They revealed that 5% of tokens are locked in a liquidity pool and that claimable fees will support both the DAO and Atsuko Sato.

To minimize price manipulation, the token launched with a $1 million fully diluted valuation, with 20% allocated for airdrops to DOG and Neiro token holders. There’s also a 5% reserve for the DAO aimed at future development and initiatives.

> We are delighted to welcome the latest member of Atsuko’s family, Cocoro!
> With Atsuko’s blessing, OTD is launching $Cocoro. The launch is intended to defend against unofficial, extractive deployments while benefiting Atsuko’s existing supporters.
> — Own The Doge 🐶🖼 (@ownthedoge) March 8, 2025

Yet, concerns about the legitimacy of Sato’s announcements linger, particularly after reports of hacks on her social media accounts. A similar announcement was also made on her website.

In a recent blog post, Sato emphasized her commitment to protecting her images and using the new token to support children and animals globally.

Kabosu, the beloved Shiba Inu who inspired the Dogecoin meme, passed away last May at the age of 18 after battling leukemia and liver disease, prompting an outpouring of grief from the crypto community, including tributes from Elon Musk and Vitalik Buterin. Dogecoin also experienced a temporary surge in price as a tribute to the late dog.