Gabe the Dog was a (very adorable) dog known on YouTube and the Internet for his “borks”. These “borks” were the subject matter of many videos, remixes and memes.
Related: How did Julianne Hough’s Dogs Die?
On January 20 2017, Gabe the Dog peacefully died of heart problems, surrounded by his loving family.
Um… What On Earth Are Borks?
A “bork” is a word with multiple meanings.
The first of these is an informal verb, meaning to obstruct or defeat someone by systematically criticizing or vilifying them. For instance, one could say “I will bork my opponent”.
The second meaning is the one we’ll be using today, which is an internet-coined term for the noise a clumsy or goofy dog would make instead of “bark”. This is most often used in the context of memes or like in Gabe’s case, for funny dog videos on YouTube and such the like.
A commonly used meme or joke containing bork in this context is-
Person 1: “BOORK”
Person 2: “Woah you gave me a frighten!”
Wait: Then What Is a Meme?
A meme is an image, video, piece of text or other snippet of media (usually comedic in nature) that spreads rapidly throughout the internet. Oftentimes, there will be slight variations and ‘versions’ of the meme produced.
The criterias for a meme are often debated, and are subject to change. In the beginning, memes were a catchphrase or concept, but they have now grown to include challenges, pictures, videos, GIFs, songs and other viral trends.
The world of memes is vast and hard to pin down, but some examples include ‘Condescending Wonka’, ‘Chuck Norris Facts’ and ‘Woman Yelling at a Cat’.
Who Was Gabe The Dog?
Gabe the Dog was a white Eskimo/Pomeranian mix dog, who was white and fluffy. He was born on January 3 2011, in Canada. His owner was Jesse Hamel, known on YouTube as ‘deathtrips’ (previously ‘gravycp’).
On January 8 2013, Jesse uploaded a video of Gabe “borking” titled “The New Dog Source” to his YouTube account. This video would amass over 60,000 views in three years.
Following this, on November 1 2014, Jesse posted a newer video of Gabe, titled “Newest Dog Source”.
Again, on March 30 2016, Jesse posted another video of Gabe, titled “Brand New 2016 Dog Source”.
All of these videos would go on to have over a million YouTube views collectively.
Who Is Jesse Hamel?
Jesse Hamel was Gabe the Dog’s owner, and is a musician and artist. He hails from Winnipeg, Canada, like Gabe.
Jesse was previously known as ‘deathtrips’ on YouTube, but since Gabe’s videos he has changed his account name to ‘Jesse Hamel’.
Jesse uploads a variety of different content: he creates and produces his own music, films tutorials, records sketch comedies and skits, uploads funny ‘meme’ videos and of course, once uploaded the original Gabe the Dog videos.
How Did Gabe The Dog Become Famous?
Gabe the Dog’s borks became an internet sensation, with hundreds of remixes and videos surfacing. One of the most popular of these was a remix made by a YouTube user named ‘shaliek’, which blended Gabe’s borks with “The Midnight Tango”, by Herp Albert. The video was uploaded on January 27 2013, and has been viewed over 800,000 times.
Another popular remix was by YouTube user ‘Lewdachris’, featuring Gabe’s borks blended with the song “Time to Air” by 青龍. This video has been viewed over 300,000 times, and was uploaded on February 7 2013.
Yet another popular remix was created by YouTube user ‘skylark’, and consisted of Gabe’s borks blended with “I am a God”, a song by Kanye West. This video was uploaded on June 14 2013, and no longer seems to be available.
Finally, there was an edit of Gabe’s borks made by YouTube user ‘widddddd”, in which Gabe’s borks were played over a video of a teenage boy cursing. This video also no longer seems to be available.
How Did Gabe the Dog Die?
Gabe had been with Jesse Hamel for six years, in Canada.
On January 20 2017, he peacefully died due to heart problems, surrounded by Jesse Hamel and a loving family. His official Facebook page announced his death, and his passing was mourned by family, friends and fans alike.
You’re gone but not forgotten, Gabe. Thank you for all your borks!
