Bethesda and Xbox donate $10,000 to the Humane Society in honor of Dogmeat

There are very few videogame animals as famous as Dogmeat. Introduced in the original Fallout, the canine companion was a massive pain in the ass but also a very good boy (as all dogs are), leading many players to go to extreme lengths to protect him from his own tendency toward self destruction.

Dogmeat has been a Fallout staple since then, appearing in every main series game—not always the same dog, naturally, as Fallout 1 and 4 are separated by more than a century, but the same sort of spiritual presence: A tough, loyal, uncomplaining companion who we will all take many bullets for, without hesitation. The most recent version of Dogmeat, in Fallout 4, was actually based on a real-life dog named River.

Sadly, River died in June: His owner, Fallout 4 lead level designer Joel Burgess, shared a touching eulogy on Twitter that made River sound very much like her videogame counterpart: "Her intentions were pure, but her judgment wasn't always perfect."

To honor River's passing, Bethesda and Microsoft donated $10,000 to the Montgomery County Humane Society, and shared a link for others who would like to contribute as well. Montgomery County in Maryland includes the town of Rockville, the headquarters of Bethesda Softworks.

The Humane Society is funded solely through donations and revenues generated by private programs. The services it offers include animal rescue and adoption, low-cost clinics for spaying and neutering, microchipping, and vaccinations, a pet food pantry, and educational programs.

The Montgomery County Humane Society said in response to the donation that it was "honored to be a part of River's legacy."