There's an old man in our neighborhood that takes regular walks with his elderly doxie dog named Tinkerbell.
She's a bit overweight but the absolute sweetest and most loyal little dog. He doesn't use a leash with her, she just follows him closely, even while crossing the street.
He always carries a garbage bag and picks up trash out of people's yards and along the boulevards. I've even seen him pulling weeds out of the sidewalk cracks.
Tinkerbell just follows along; they've been doing this for years.
I always wave when I see them coming and tell him to feel free to use our garbage bin to empty his bags if he ever needs to. I tell him that I appreciate what he's doing too.
He and Tinkerbell have inspired me to pick up trash when I'm out walking with Charlie over the past few years - especially now when the snowbanks recede and unveil a season's worth of litter and trash.
So maybe next time you're out on a walk with your dog, you'll think of Tinkerbell and her owner who selflessly clean up their neighborhood during walks, making our little world just a little bit nicer, and you'll be inspired to do the same.