Candy's dog to Lennie

At the end of OMAM I noticed a few similarities between Candy's dog to Lennie. One similarity I noticed is how they're both like animals, especially Lennie, with John Steinbeck referring Lennie's hands as "paws", and explaining how the mentally disabled were put into cages like animals. Another similartity I noticed was how they died. In both of their deaths Carlson or his things were involved (Carlson shot Candy's dog, and George used Carlson's gun), they were both shot, and both deaths were intended to be respectful, memorable, and intended the beings be put out of their misery. It is explained in the book that Candy's dog had to be shot because he was old and suffering.  Lennie was suffering too, by being stressed that he wasn't good enough for George and that he's always hiding and getting into trouble. The only difference in the deaths was that Candy regrets not shooting his own dog to put him out of misery because he is his friend and beloved companion. While Lennie and George are the same way, George wanted to do it the proper way by putting Lennie out of his own misery and saying goodbye. I could also tell how George felt after killing Lennie, "George shivered and looked at the gun, and then he threw it from him, back up on the bank, near the pile of old ashes." p.106.  George wanted Lennie's death to mean that between them, they were close companions, and are always going to be together no matter what.