On December 7, 2025, Reese had to be put down after two days of being denied proper veterinary treatment due to lack of upfront payment. His family paid for initial treatment, spending all they had at the time. When his condition worsened and his family couldn’t afford to pay for further treatment upfront, he was sent home to die, leading to severe untreated internal bleeding. He was put down at the local emergency veterinary hospital less than 12 hours later.

The Reese Project was created in his honor to make sure no pet’s life ends because their owners couldn’t afford immediate, life-saving treatment.