A heartwarming announcement for dog lovers and crypto enthusiasts alike! Atsuko Sato, the person who raised Kabosu, the Shiba Inu behind the iconic Doge meme, has introduced a new furry member to her family: a rescue dog named Cocoro.

Along with sharing news of her adorable new companion, Sato also mentioned partnering with her community ally, “Own The Doge,” to launch an official COCORO token. This token, launched on the Base blockchain, quickly captured attention, reaching a $100 million fully diluted valuation in under an hour after its debut, according to GeckoTerminal data.

Please allow me to introduce our new 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”. pic.twitter.com/EB99ipJM4P

— かぼすママ (@kabosumama) March 8, 2025

Sato explained that in the past, she’s seen unauthorized tokens using her dogs’ images without her consent. This time, however, with her new companion Cocoro, she’s taking a different approach by partnering with a community she trusts to create a legitimate, official token.

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, a charming black Shiba Inu, joins Neiro, a familiar face to her followers, expanding Sato’s beloved pet family. Interestingly, the NEIRO meme coin, also inspired by Sato’s dogs, experienced a dip of approximately 14% following the announcement of Cocoro’s adoption, according to CoinGecko figures.

Own The Doge has shared details about the COCORO token distribution, noting that 5% of the tokens are secured in a liquidity pool. The fees generated from this pool will be shared between the DAO and Atsuko Sato herself.

To ensure a fair launch and prevent price spikes right out of the gate, the liquidity pool was initiated with a $1 million fully diluted valuation. Furthermore, 20% of the total token supply has been allocated for airdrops to existing DOG and Neiro token holders, rewarding loyal community members.

Lastly, underscoring a commitment to future growth, 5% of the tokens are set aside as a DAO reserve, earmarked for ongoing development and various community 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 being as fair as possible and benefitting Atsuko’s existing supporters.… pic.twitter.com/6jZZK5JgS3

— Own The Doge 🐶🖼 (@ownthedoge) March 8, 2025

However, questions surrounding the complete authenticity of Sato’s social media posts persist, especially in light of past reports concerning hacks targeting her accounts. Adding to the official nature of the news, Sato also posted a similar announcement on her personal website this past Saturday.

According to Sato’s recent blog post, translated into English, she stated, “I absolutely refuse to let my images be used without permission to make money! That is my strong will. If it is so useful that it can be hacked, then I thought I would create a token with people I trust and use it to protect children and animals around the world!”

Many will remember Kabosu, the Shiba Inu who inspired Dogecoin and became a global internet sensation. She sadly passed away last May at the age of 18 after bravely battling leukemia and liver disease.

Her passing was deeply felt by the crypto community, with heartfelt tributes pouring in from notable figures like Elon Musk and Vitalik Buterin.

Even Dogecoin itself experienced a brief price increase as a touching homage to the dog who started it all.