Lifestyle Pets Georgie Boy, Beloved Pet Monkey and TikTok Star, Dies After 'Regular Check Up' at the Vet "He was a reminder of the love that exists in all of us," Georgie Boy's owners wrote in a loving social media tribute to the famous monkey By Maria Pasquini Maria Pasquini Associate Editor, Human Interest - PEOPLE People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 10, 2021 01:24 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Georgie Boy/Instagram Say it ain't so. Georgie Boy, a 12-year-old monkey with a huge following on social media, has died. His owners announced the sad news on Wednesday, writing that their beloved pet died following a "regular check-up" at the vet. "We have devastating news," they wrote in a TikTok video shared on the primate's @heresyourmonkeycontent account, which has close to 18 million followers. "George went to the vet for a regular check-up on his teeth. During, there were complications with the anesthesia, starting a long fight for his life. Through the fight, George was sent thousands of thoughts and prayers with the hope that he would make it," they wrote. "On June 7th at 4 pm Central, Georgie Boy passed away." Alongside the video, his owners shared several clips from happier times, including videos of the primate getting his head rubbed and snuggling up with his favorite toys. Although they will always miss their pet, his owners wrote that the monkey would remain "a reminder of the love that exists in all of us." "George was a light when things seemed dark. And he was a reminder of the love that exists in all of us. Though the fun-loving life of George has left, his spirit of hope and love lives on," they wrote. "We love you, George." Texas Woman Climbs into El Paso Zoo's Spider Monkey Exhibit to Hand Feed Animals Hot Cheetos Many fans took to the comments section to mourn the loss of the primate. "George, you had the power to make everyone happy and laugh when they were down. Such a loving little soul," wrote one viewer, while another added, "Thank you for sharing George with us and making our lives that much brighter. He will be missed ❤️ 😢." "Devastated. Rest in Paradise, my friend," added a third. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday. Celebrity Pets We Lost in 2021 The monkey, who celebrated his 12th birthday in March, first joined his family as an emotional support animal. He went on to develop a following on social media, with his owners frequently sharing videos of the primate opening up his own fan mail and playing around at home.