Shoot the Dog: Difference between revisions

{{quote|''"Just in case, and without any feeling of guilt, Vimes removed his knife, and... [[Mercy Kill|gave what help he could.]]"''}}

** Willikins engages in a few of these during ''[[Discworld/Snuff|Snuff]]'', in part so Vimes - who's already testing his personal limits during the book - doesn't have to. In addition, Wee Mad Arthur's sideplot sees him having to give the same help Vimes did in ''Night Watch''.

** To be fair, in Roland's mind, anything is permitted because Roland believes the entirety of all existence (and, indeed, non-existence) is at stake. And {{spoiler|Jake [[Unexplained Recovery|gets better.]]}} And {{spoiler|Roland's belief happens to be right on the money}}.

* In [[John Steinbeck]]'s novel ''[[Of Mice and Men]]'', protagonist George is forced to pick up a revolver and kill {{spoiler|his mentally handicapped best friend Lennie}} who has inadvertently {{spoiler|killed Curly's wife}}. George's reasoning for this is to spare {{spoiler|Lennie}} from a horrible death at the hands of {{spoiler|the inevitable lynch mob.}} This trope is also shown in a lesser extent earlier in the novel (with an ''actual'' dog, and with the same gun too!).