At the end of the novel, George kills Lennie in much the same way as Carlson kills Candy's dog. The dog is seen as useless and smelly, therefore it was seen as more of a nuisance to Carlson and the others in the bunk house. The men argue that the dog is miserable and in pain, which convinces Candy to let Carlson shoot the dog. After the dog is killed, however, Candy tells George of his regret for letting someone else shoot his dog. The dog was Candy's responsibility, and Candy feels he let the dog down by not taking its life himself.
George is determined not to let this happen to him. George knows that Lennie will be killed by Curley and the other men if they find him, and George wants to protect Lennie from the others. George sees Lennie as his responsibility, and George feels that he must take action to look after Lennie, even if this action leads to Lennie's death.
Lennie's death also reflects the killing of Candy's dog in the actual manner of the shooting. George shoots Lennie in the back of the head, just where Carlson told Candy he would shoot the dog, promising that the dog would die instantly and would feel no pain. George wants this "pain-free" death for his friend.
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