I have replaced the $30 drain pump twice already, and the same issue has popped up again. Is their some type of maintenance or cleaning I should be doing that might prevent the pump failing yet again?

The filter trap at the bottom looks the normal amount of yucky, mostly dog hair.

My wife is going to want to buy a new machine when I tell her that it broke again, and I don't think I can argue my case a third time! Worse, she'll want a new dryer too so that they match.

It's an WM2101HW, if that helps. The serial number starts with a zero, which supposedly indicates that it was built in a year ending in a 0, so it is either 16 or 26 years old, which I suppose is a good run.

https://www.lg.com/us/products/documents/lg_spec_sheet_wm2101h.pdf