ouch. i'm so glad that you care for him. i had depression for 15 years now. i have a loving and caring family who understands. i'm grateful to have a family. i'm grateful that you treat him as such. tell him that he's family to you. there's nothing preventing "adopting" him into your family. he doesn't have to be a kid. my grandparents "adopted" a friend of theirs, so she's been a part of my family for a long time. and that dog. gosh, that hurts when he feels that he has to give up that dog. i know it can be near impossible to properly care for him/her with depression. i gave up my last dog because of my depression. it wasn't because of my family. it was actually due to the fact that she was still a very young puppy and very well-behaved one at that. i felt it would be better for her, since she still needed training and socializing. pets are great therapy, even if they cannot cure. they can love, no matter what. i hope things work out that you can help him. it seems that you've already "adopted" him as family, but he probably isn't aware of that. i wish you and your friend the best.