With his headache mercifully gone and his core temperature back to its normal degree, Connor awoke the next morning feeling physically exhausted but still alert. Swinging his legs over the edge of his bed Connor stood up slowly and held the now lukewarm washcloth that Hank had draped over his eyes the night before in his hand appreciatively. The simple act of kindness made Connor feel wanted and cared about, even after everything he and Hank had been through together. It was clear that the two detectives really were friends and saw one another as a family. They weren't simply going through the motions or putting on a show for other people to watch.

Sprinkling a few flakes of food into the aquarium where his numerous colorful fish swam about energetically, Connor changed out of his night clothes and into more casual clothes before joining Hank in the livingroom. Walking down the hallway Connor saw Hank sitting on the couch with his shoulders slumped and fidgeting with something nervously between his hands.

Connor paused at the end of the hallway and stared silently for a few confused moments as Hank's behavior was rather off. The deviant's presence was enough to get Hank's attention without Connor having to utter a single word.

"Connor." Hank turned to look at Connor over his shoulder as the deviant stood at the end of the hallway. The senior detective looked like he hadn't slept very well and his eyes were still red, but not as puffy or irritated as they were the night before. "Come here for a minute, I need to tell you something."

"Is something wrong?" Connor asked as he obediently joined Hank on the couch, his L.E.D. now cycling a distressed yellow instead of a calm blue. "You seem very upset."

"...Last night after we returned home and I carried you down the hallway to get some rest, I-" Pausing for a moment Hank found his words and told Connor the grim truth. "I found Sumo collapsed in the middle of the livingroom floor."

"Is Sumo sick!? Where is he?" Connor looked around the livingroom curiously as he suddenly became very aware of the fact that Sumo wasn't around. His yellow L.E.D. flashed to red as he failed to locate the large dog anywhere. "Hank, what's wrong with him?"

"Connor," Hank handed Connor the item he had been nervously toying with between his fingers moments before the deviant arrived. It was a worn out leather dog collar with a metal tag hanging from the clasp. "Sumo is gone. He's dead, son."

"...Dead?" Connor took the collar and stared at the metal tag hanging from the leather band. The tag had the name 'Sumo' engraved over it, as well as the house's address. "I don't understand. How could he... die?"

"He was old and he was sick. After I took care of you, I took care of him." Hank cleared his voice as he fought to keep himself from crying over the lost pet. "I asked Mrs. Brilstein next door to stay here and watch you for a few hours while I took Sumo to the vet. There was nothing they could do for him."

"...H-How did he die?" Connor's hands tightened nervously around the collar as he forced himself to ask the painful question. "Did he suffer?"

"No, no. I had him put to sleep so he didn't have to suffer. He never felt a thing except my hand petting his ears."

"...Do you know what made him sick?"

"Sumo had a heart attack. The poor guy developed heart disease," Hank continued somberly as he explained everything that had happened. "and his body was beginning to shutdown on him. The vet was impressed that he made it to almost ten years old before he got sick. For any large breed of dog that's really impressive. You helped make his last years enjoyable, son." Staring at Connor's glum expression Hank tried to make the deviant feel better. "You know that, right? You were a good friend for him and you made sure his final years were full of love."

"...Where is Sumo, now?" Connor asked sadly as his hands held onto the collar tightly with a sense of impending dread. "I need to know."

"He's in the backyard." The senior detective replied with a heavy grimace on his face as he continued to talk to Connor in the 'dad voice'. "I buried him last night while you were still sleeping. I didn't want to leave him behind to have the vet 'take care of him', so I brought him back here to be buried in the backyard where he loved to play."

Connor's red L.E.D. slowly transitioned back to yellow as he contemplated what Hank was telling him. Rising from the couch with a stunted motion Connor made his way to the kitchen to exit through the backdoor of the house to reach the backyard. Hank followed after the deviant and watched as Connor stepped outside and his eyes immediately fell on the fresh earth dug up in the corner of the property by the fence.

"Sumo." Connor walked over to the grave and crouched down as if he needed to be sure that he was actually seeing what he thought he was seeing. It was real. The massive, lovable dog was really gone. Bowing his head sadly Connor could only think of one thing to say in that moment. "...Good boy."

Hank stood behind Connor and let out a deep sigh as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm not sure." Staring at the fresh earth before him all Connor could do was try to process the new reality of living in the house without Sumo there to keep him company. A warm tear began to roll down his face from his eye and Connor quickly brushed it away as if it had no business being there. "...Is it normal for humans to feel upset and a sense of loss after an animal companion dies?"

"Yeah, son. It's entirely normal." Putting his hand to Connor's shoulder Hank stood idle and stared at the fresh grave for a few minutes as well. "The way my life was heading I never expected to outlive him. Guess you helped give us both a few more good years under our belts."

Once more Connor wiped his hand over his face beneath his eye as a second tear rolled down his cheek. "...Is it also normal to cry over the loss of an animal companion?"

"Yes. Go ahead and cry. I'll admit it, I did last night before I went to check on you."

Standing up slowly Connor walked back toward the house with his head bowed down while more tears flowed down his face as he began to slowly and silently cry over the loss of Sumo. It was another heartache that Connor would have to endure, but with Hank at his side he wouldn't have to endure it alone. "At least he isn't in pain, right?"

"Right." Patting Connor's shoulder lightly Hank escorted his pained adopted son back inside the house to grieve in privacy. "No one should have to suffer and he didn't. He was a happy and loved dog right up until his last moment."

Despondent and bored Connor sat on the floor of the livingroom bouncing Sumo's green fetch ball up against the wall and catching it after the rebound, over and over again in a bizarre attempt to preoccupy his mind while Hank took a shower and spent the afternoon trying to get ready to meet a friend downtown for lunch. Normally Connor would've asked Hank about the person he was meeting with, where they were going, or why they were meeting up, but his thoughts were too disheveled and disorganized by the unexpected and painful loss of Sumo to care. It was as if the only thing the deviant could think of was Sumo and the pain that stemmed from personal loss.

Freshly showered and feeling a little better, Hank stepped out of the bathroom and rubbed a towel through his gray hair as he walked down the hallway to his bedroom. He could hear the ball being bounced rhythmically against the wall in the livingroom and he knew that Connor was now thoroughly lost in thought and beginning to obsess over the idea of death.

An obsession he didn't want the empathetic deviant to develop or linger on. Ever.

"Are you doing okay?" Hank asked as he walked back down the hallway in clean clothes and leaned over the back of the couch to watch Connor curiously. The deviant's L.E.D. was no longer red, but yellow wasn't much better. "You can tell me if you're still upset."

"...Yes." Whether that was 'yes' to the first question or the second, neither detective could be sure. "Just... thinking."

"You're still upset, and that's okay. You know that, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to talk about it or for me to stay home? I can reschedule-"

"I'll be okay. I just want to be alone to think. That's all..."

"Connor," Hank's voice carried a paternal sympathy that made Connor stop tossing the ball after he caught in his hand for the hundredth time. "don't fixate on what happened to Sumo. Like I said, he was old, he got sick and it's common for large breeds of dogs to become afflicted with heart problems. There wasn't anything more that your or me could've done to keep him around for much longer."

"...I'm aware."

Hank wasn't convinced but he didn't want to push Connor too far emotionally. Connor had been a deviant for going on three years now and that still was not enough time for him to grasp the complexities of human emotions and responses. Unlike Markus, North and the other deviants at New Jericho Tower who had years - even decades of contact with humans to help guide them along their way to deviancy, Connor had only known the cold machines and indifferences of CyberLife technicians during his first few months of life and fleeting glimpses of warm humanity after he deviated.

"Okay, son. I'm going to go out for a few hours to have lunch with Rose. I'll be back this evening."

Connor didn't respond to the information with any form of interest which in itself was a red flag to the attentive senior detective.

"I just said I was going on a what is essentially a date and you didn't react, not to mention the fact that it's with Rose!" Trying to tease Connor just enough to get him to respond, Hank asked the deviant a playful follow-up question. "Are you sure you're not actually sick or something?"

Giving Hank a somewhat hurt glance over his shoulder Connor resumed his somber disposition with a continued indifference to Hank's plan. "I'll be okay. I swear."

"...All right." Admitting defeat for the time Hank backed off and let the deviant alone. "Call me if you need something."

"What would I need?" Connor's brow furrowed with sincere confusion as he resumed bouncing the ball against the wall without looking away from Hank in the process. "I have all the necessities to be comfortable."

"I dunno', someone to talk to or something like that."

"Oh..."

"Yeah. Uh, see you in a few hours, kid."

"See you later."

Hank grabbed his car keys from the bookshelf and headed out the front door to the car parked in the driveway beside the house. As the door clicked shut behind the senior detective, Connor stopped throwing the ball against the wall and let it bounce past him and land on the couch behind him. Reaching into his pocket Connor pulled out Sumo's name tag that had been removed from the collar and eyed it with a lingering remorse.

"I already miss him."

Unable to stand the quiet stillness of the house Connor stood up from the floor and headed toward the front door, where he slipped on his shoes before grabbing his leather jacket from the hook as he walked through the front door and out into the steadily warming afternoon air. Wandering aimlessly for a few blocks Connor thought about all the times he used to take Sumo for walks along the same route, always stopping by the park in the spring, summer and fall, then always taking an alternate route during the wintertime to stave off the intense cold in the air.

It just wasn't the same without him.

Nothing would be the same anymore. Sumo was gone, the house was empty and death had made itself known once more by taking away another member of Connor's small, but loving family. It just didn't seem fair, and yet everything that happened was all a part of nature and not a horrible conspiracy against him.

As Connor walked deeper into the city he found himself passing by the local pet shop where he had purchased his aquarium and fish so long ago. He was readily getting barked or meowed at by the new litters of puppies and kittens jumping about in the front window as they noticed his presence. Staring at the small furry animals Connor found it fascinating that so many animals were eager to be taken home, yet all he could think about was Sumo. Stranger still was the very idea of purchasing dogs and cats when so many strays were living on the streets or waiting inside shelters to be adopted.

"If you're looking for a pet," an elderly woman's voice spoke to Connor as she walked up behind him. "there's a humane society two blocks South of here."

"Pardon?" Connor turned to look at the woman confusedly as his L.E.D. flashed in yellow quickly. "I didn't quite catch that."

"You seem like a very nice, compassionate young man." The woman stated as she continued walking past Connor on her way down the street in the opposite direction from whence Connor arrived. "It'd be nice to see more people like you taking care of animals in need. My neighbor rescued two kittens not too long ago and I've been raising them ever since. It's so wonderful to know there are good people helping animals in the world..."

Connor's yellow L.E.D. finally cycled back to blue as he watched the woman walking away without ever looking back at him. Thoroughly intrigued by the notion of a humane society Connor walked the additional two blocks as directed and easily located the shelter that the woman had mentioned. Outside the shelter in the parking lot Connor watched as a little boy carried a small white kitten over to the car while his parents spoke to the young, female volunteer at the shelter and thanked her before leaving for home with their latest addition to their family.

The boy seemed to be smiling from ear to ear and the little kitten happily snuggled into his arms as he climbed into the backseat of the car to carry the tiny bundle of fluff back home. The kitten had just been rescued and had a new family to call its own.

Unsure of what to expect Connor squared his jaw and walked inside the receptionist area of the large building and was nearly overwhelmed by the potent aroma of plastic toys, various flea and tick sprays and powders, shampoos, leather leashes and collars, various bags of pet food and dozens of books regarding proper pet care. The volunteer who had said 'goodbye' to the family outside returned to her desk at the front and saw Connor looking about curiously.

"Hello." The young woman greeted Connor politely. "Did you need some help?"

Connor turned his head quickly to look at the kind young woman. "...Me?"

"Yes, you. Is this your first time in a humane society?"

"Yes, actually." Connor admitted while feeling a little out of place. "It's... very interesting."

"What brings you by today?"

"I... I'm not sure."

"Well, something had to bring you here." She smiled brightly as she walked over to speak to Connor directly. Her name tag said 'Wendy' and she was speaking with an entirely respectful manner. "We don't get many androids in here in general, so there must be a reason."

"Oh."

"Curious about animals?"

"I actually have some experience with animals." Connor replied to the question without sounding arrogant or rude in the process. "I have an aquarium filled with numerous tropical fish and I have-" He paused for a moment to correct himself. "HAD... a dog."

"Had?" Wendy caught the past tense and sorrow in Connor's voice keenly. "I'm so sorry. When did you lose your dog?"

Connor was still holding onto Sumo's name tag and collar in his hand, and he lifted it up for her to see. "...Last night."

"Oh, no!" Truly sympathetic Wendy understood Connor's pain. "It's never easy to lose a pet."

"...Yes. I'm learning this in a very difficult, but arguably effective manner."

Smiling gently Wendy motioned to the door leading to the kennels in the rear of the building and tried to get Connor to feel better. "Let me show you to the back so you can see the animals."

"I... I don't think I'm here to actually adopt an animal."

"You don't have to if you don't want to. But sometimes spending time with animals after you lost one you cared so much about can help ease the pain."

With nothing else to do and nowhere else to go, Connor agreed to the request and let Wendy show him to the back. "...I'm willing to test that theory."

"Come on." Keeping her smile on her face Wendy showed Connor to the door that leads to a corridor back into the shelter of the building and to the kennels where all the animals were being kept. "We have quite a few dogs, puppies, cats and kittens all in need of good homes. Spring is our busy season after all."

Connor followed Wendy as she showed him down the corridor and into the back kennels. "Are you busy because of excessive breeding?"

She laughed at the sweetly naive question but shook her head nonetheless. "No, I wish that was the case. At least then it'd be less sad."

"May I ask what is the main cause of your sudden abundance of animals?"

"Honestly, it's because people like to give puppies and kittens as gifts during the holidays, but sometimes the gift is unwanted by the recipient and we end up taking in the animals who are unwanted or abandoned on the street."

"That's awful." Connor's blue L.E.D. cycled back to yellow in distress. "How could someone do that to a helpless creature?"

"I don't know. And I hope I never do." Pushing open a large door at the end of the corridor the volunteer showed Connor to the back kennels where the cats and kittens were running about in their large cages and playing in a frisky manner. "Fortunately, a nice family was here a moment ago and adopted one of the kittens. That's one less animal I need to worry about tonight."

Connor nodded his head in agreement as he entered the room and began walking by the cages along the walls. Dozens of cats of various pelt colors, fur lengths and breeds meowed as Connor walked by. A few even stretched their paws out through the bars of the cages in an attempt to gain his attention. Stopping to pet each cat a few times until they began purring in response, Connor felt less melancholy and rather enjoyed the company of the affectionate animals seeking love.

Behind him in a larger kennel against the opposite wall, seven kittens scurried about along a big carpet scratching post and batted around a few toys and bells playfully. It wasn't often Connor was able to observe so many animals in one place and it made him feel better knowing that for every animal that passed away more animals were just beginning to live.

"It might be too soon, but did you want to see the dogs?" Wendy timidly asked as she watched Connor observing the kittens for a few minutes. "Or do you want to keep playing with the cats?"

"...I like all animals." The yellow L.E.D. cycled back to a calm blue as he spoke. "I've encountered cats before and I enjoyed their company, but I also like dogs."

"A lot of people do." Happy to hear the response Wendy showed Connor to the next room where the puppies and dogs were being kept. "We just keep them separated so they don't feel as stressed out by being surrounded by a different species."

"I see."

"Come on." She motioned for Connor to follow her out of the room and further down the corridor to the next room where the dog kennels were contained. "We don't have as many dogs as we do cats, but maybe there's someone here you'd like to play with."

Connor smiled a little at the offer as he entered the kennel and eyed the numerous dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds jumping about in their kennels with their tails wagging as they barked at the visiting deviant. Connor had never seen so many different breeds of dogs in person, only in visual records stored in his memorybank.

"Hello." The deviant greeted the dogs with a small voice. "I wasn't expecting to see so many of you in one place."

Allowing each dog to sniff at his hand, then lick gently, Connor greeted each dog in a similar way as the kittens as he walked along the kennels. In a large gated pen at the opposite side of the room four puppies jumped about playfully as they wrestled with one another through a scattering of newspapers and chew toys. As the puppies yipped and ran around Connor couldn't help but notice that one of the puppies was larger than others and displayed the classic signs of a familiar looking dog he had known very well; a Saint Bernard.

"It looks like Sumo..." Connor observed as he crouched down by the pen and looked in at the fluffy puppies closer. The puppy that had caught Connor's attention ran up to the edge of the pen and stood up on its hind legs as it tried to lick Connor's face through the bars. "This must be where Hank adopted Sumo ten years ago."

The volunteer crouched down next to Connor and smiled at his reaction. "We get a lot of puppies through here every year. I wouldn't be shocked if your friend adopted one from here, but I wouldn't count on it."

"How often do you get Saint Bernard puppies?"

"Not too often. It's rare for someone to give up a purebred puppy on a whim, but it does unfortunately happens. I guess some people don't realize how big large breed dogs will get after they're fully grown. And it's even more unfortunate because once the puppies reach their full mature size it's even harder to find them homes."

"How old is this one? Six months?"

"Six or seven months, yeah."

Connor reached his hand into the pen and rubbed at the puppy's ears in the same manner he had done so many times before with Sumo. The puppy leaned its head into Connor's hand and wagged its tail happily at the positive attention it was being given.

"If you want to adopt him," Wendy gently pressed without being pushy. "the fee is only fifty dollars."

"...I-I'm not sure."

"I know how hard it is to move on after losing a pet. That's why I volunteer to work here every weekend." She sympathized sincerely. "It makes it a little easier to move on."

"Yes. I did feel better once I started interacting with the animals."

"And remember, adopting a pet doesn't mean you're simply replacing one that you've lost. It means you've finished taking care of one animal and now you're going to take care of another one who needs your help."

"...My help." Connor remembered what Hank said earlier about helping him and Sumo live longer lives. Maybe he could do the same for this puppy. "...If I were to adopt him, could I take him home today?"

"First we need to do a background check to make sure no one seeking to take an animal has a history of animal cruelty or abuse, and that the person has a stable enough income to take care of a pet. It's routine procedure."

"I'd never hurt an animal." Connor quickly refuted somewhat defensively as his blue L.E.D. blinked yellow for a moment. "I work for the Detroit Police. I can ensure you an accurate and swift background check on my person to prove it."

"You're a cop?"

"Yes." Connor pulled his wallet from his jean pocket and showed Wendy his badge. "Detective, actually."

"Wow! I didn't know that androids could be detectives." She smiled warmly at Connor as he continued to rub the puppy's ears affectionately. "I know your background check will come back clean, so... why don't you go ahead and take him home?"

"...You're willing to trust me?"

"Sure, I still have faith in humanity, so why not deviants?"

Connor smiled appreciatively at the comment as he reached both hands down into the pen over the metal gate and picked up the puppy to hold in his arms. The not-so-small bundle of fluff wagged his tail happily as he proceeded to lick Connor's chin and the side of his face as soon as he was in the deviant's strong grip.

It was evident that Wendy always enjoyed seeing the animals in her care being taken in by kind people. "I think he likes you."

"...I like him, too."

"Come on. We'll get the paperwork filed so you can take him home."

"I'd like that." Keeping the large puppy in his arms Connor happily followed after Wendy to take care of everything so he could bring the puppy to his new home. "Thank you for your help."

After an hour or so Connor finished filing the paperwork, paying the fee and picking up new items for the new puppy to have. Feeling much better Connor arrived back home with the puppy still protectively bundled up in his arms - despite having purchased a new collar and leash to walk him along the ground, a bag of puppy chow tucked under his arm and a new chew rope to ensure the puppy didn't chew up anything he shouldn't have in his mouth. Sitting down on the floor of the livingroom, Connor let go of the puppy and watched as the puppy looked about the house, curiously sniffing at the air before crawling back into Connor's lap as the new environment was a little frightening.

Petting the puppy gently Connor felt the sorrow he still carried for the loss of Sumo beginning to leave his weighted heart. The puppy playfully climbed over Connor's legs for a moment more and then trotted through the livingroom to check out his new home as he built up some courage.

As Connor watched the puppy energetically exploring his new world he began to smirk a little.

"You're more energetic than Sumo."

Connor noted with twinge of guilt for thinking such a thing as he put the bag of chow up on the nearby coffee table.

"...He really was an old dog."

The backdoor to the kitchen opened unexpectedly and Hank returned from his date with Rose beside him. "Hey, Connor." The senior detective called out casually from the middle of the kitchen. "How're you holding up?"

Before Connor could answer the puppy clumsily ran through the livingroom and into the kitchen to greet Hank, who was shocked to see the new bundle of fluff sniffing at his ankles after the puppy came to a skidding stop over the linoleum floor. Whereas Hank was stunned into silence, Rose was more than happy to crouch down and say hello to the large puppy.

"Why, hello!" Rose greeted the fluffy sweet bundle as she rubbed his soft ears. "It's nice to meet you!"

"Uh... Connor?" Hank didn't raise his voice or even sound angry, but he didn't sound enthusiastic either. "Where'd you find this puppy?"

"The humane society." Connor replied honestly as he walked into the kitchen and watched Rose pet the large puppy before picking him up to hold in her arms for a few moments. The puppy was almost comically large in her arms as he continued to wag his tail happily "I had no intention of adopting a puppy today, I swear. It just... happened."

Rose laughed a little and playfully nudged Hank in the ribs with her elbow. "That's adorable, Hank. You can't be mad!"

"I'm not mad." He stated calmly both Rose and Connor as he stared at the puppy wagging its tail in Rose's arms. "I'm just a little confused."

Connor spoke up again as he tried to reassure Hank that he hadn't gone out in search of a puppy that day. "I was taking a walk and I ended up at the humane society after I was encouraged to check it out."

"Encouraged?" That sounded a little too convenient in Hank's mind. "By what, a sign from above?"

"No. An old woman."

Rose laughed again as she rubbed the puppy's chin lovingly. She was more than happy to bear witness to the unusual conversation taking place.

Hank was less amused than Rose was, but still not angry. "Uh-huh... And this old woman was also a saleswoman or something, right?"

"No, she... She said I looked like a 'nice young man'." The confession sounded as naive as it was sweet. "She was the first human stranger who saw me as a person and not a machine or even a deviant." Connor wrung his hands together nervously in front of himself as he explained what happened and his L.E.D. cycled to a tense yellow. "It was a nice feeling in itself and I wanted to continue to feel better after losing Sumo."

Hank crossed his arms over his chest and tried to ignore the puppy now craning his neck to try to lick his face from Rose's arms. "You do realize that puppies need A LOT of training, right? They aren't born with training and basic commands already in their heads."

"I'm aware."

"And puppies are messy. You remember how much of a mess the neighbor's puppy caused in just a few hours, don't you?"

"Yes, I remember vividly cleaning up the numerous messes let behind by Quincy."

Hank let out a sigh as he looked down at the puppy that was so desperately trying to get his attention. "...Is it already official?"

Connor pulled out the neatly folded paper certificate of adoption from his coat pocket and handed it over to Hank. "...Yes."

Taking the offered certificate Hank read it over and gave Connor a somewhat annoyed look but accepted it. "All right. But since this little guy is registered under your name that means he's your responsibility. You'll train him, feed him, walk him, bathe him, take him to get his shots, take him to get neutered and every little mess he makes is a mess you're going to clean up. Got it?"

"Got it!" Connor smiled brightly as Hank allowed him to keep the puppy. His nervously yellow L.E.D. finally cycled back to blue and stayed as such as relief and a sense of healing washed over him. "Thank you, Hank."

Hank finally relented and pet the puppy's head for a moment before Rose let him back down to the floor where he proceeded to run right back over to Connor and paw at the deviant's leg seeking more affection. It was clear the puppy was already rather fond of his new deviant master.

"So... what's his name?" Hank dared to ask as Connor bent down and picked the puppy up and held him in his arms. It was the first time all day that Hank saw Connor without tears in his eyes. "You left that part on the adoption certificate blank."

"I couldn't pick a name when I was at the human society, but... I think I still like the name 'Sumo' best."

Sighing a little Hank rubbed his hand over the back of his tense neck as he watched Connor holding the massive fluffy puppy in his arms. "Not EVERY Saint Bernard needs to be called 'Sumo', kid. You should come up with something new."

"I'm aware of this fact, but 'Sumo' is a very fitting name for the breed. And I think this house and family still needs a 'Sumo' to be a part of it."

"Whatever..." Hank shook his head as he flashed Rose an amused grin and admitted defeat. "Okay, he's your puppy, son. 'Sumo' it is then."

"And Sumo is here to stay." Connor smiled again as the puppy, now dubbed 'Sumo', let out a big sleepy yawn and rested his chin against Connor's shoulder as he snuggled in for a long afternoon nap. "...Good boy."

-next chapter-

Author's Note: First, I'd like to point out that the passing of Sumo was a prompt that had been thrown my way, so it wasn't my idea! Second, I didn't want to keep Sumo dead so I combined it with another prompt of Connor being able to adopt a puppy and conveniently enough had Connor adopt a Saint Bernard and name it 'Sumo' for the sake of simplicity. Third, it's accurate to have Sumo, even at his canon age in the game, to succumb to old age and heart disease.

(I didn't want anyone going "John Wicke" on me for killing the dog...)

I'd also like to point out the seriousness of animals being given as gifts then abandoned every holiday season. Not only is it cruel to the animal but it's a shameful display of humanity to view animals as objects or possessions that can be neglected, disposed of or forgotten out of laziness and indifference.

Don't give an animal as a gift unless you know the recipient WANTS to adopt the animal and can take care of the animal! Please and Thank you!