The dog who was the face of “Cheems” doge memes has died, his Hong Kong owner announced on social media.

Balltze, a Shiba Inu sometimes called by his nickname, Ball Ball, was immortalised on the internet when memes featuring him with a goofy, knowing smile on his face went viral.

The dog died at age 12 on August 18 after a fight with cancer, his owner, Kathy, announced to his hundreds of thousands Instagram followers.

“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. Don’t be sad, please remember the joy that Balltze brought to the world,” she wrote.

“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.”

Kathy first reported that Balltze likely had cancer in a post in July, and said she was struggling to accept it herself.

In some of his memes, Balltze was known for loving “cheemsburgers”, while in others, he held a baseball bat to “bonk” people on the head with.

He even had his own website where people could buy enamel pins, sweatshirts and tote bags featuring the dog’s face. He eventually became the face of a cryptocurrency token.

Balltze’s owner said that donations made for his medical bills will be donated to animal charities.