Borrowing The City's Dog Duty Bags

I am the kind of dog owner who has been known to cut a walk short if I run out of dog pick up bags. I've been known to walk back to the scene of the crime to pick up what we left behind. I carry a little flash light in my pocket on dark walks so I can find what my dog is leaving and pick it up. I'm not wild about picking up dog mess (who is?) but if I don't like it in my own yard, there is no way I'm going to leave it behind in a neighbor's yard.

For years I just stuffed bags in my pockets and walked my one dog. But with three dogs and leashes and my hands full, I switched to one of those cute little velcro do-hickeys that hold a roll of bags. I'm not a boy scout, but I try to always be prepared for dog mess pick up.

Currently, I am cutting corners and rolls of dog bags are just not at the top of my shopping list. I can make do with grocery store bags but they are so big and bulky and I feel like I should be turning those back in to the grocery store...

Or, I can walk downtown to the paved trail that runs 8 miles north and 15 miles south and pull out several courtesy dog bags and stuff my empty bag full. At first I felt guilty doing that, but I don't want to leave dog mess behind, and the bag dispensers are usually not at the exact spot the dogs stop and even if I use one off the trail, I'm still using it in town and keeping our town clean is why there are bag dispensers, right?

It's not stealing, I tell myself, but I prefer to take four bags when it is dark out and no one is looking. It's just borrowing. I'll, um, give it back to the city when we are done. They can find it in their city trash can.