Sweet dog figures out how to ride the bus solo to take herself to the park: 'Knows what she's doing'

Eclipse the dog is a Seattle icon. The black Labrador-Mastiff mix would climb onto a city bus by herself and get down at the right stop to take herself for a walk in the park. It all started in 2015 when her human, Jeff Young, would take the bus to visit their local Belltown Dog Park for walks. One day, Young was still smoking a cigarette when the bus arrived but little Miss Independent Eclipse decided she'd just head on over without him.

At first, many people believed that the dog was lost. Local radio host Miles Montgomery of "KISW-FM" also wondered what the pooch's story was. "It doesn't really appear to have an owner. The dog gets off at the dog park. I just look out the window and I'm like, 'did that just happen?'" Montgomery asked according to KOMO News. "She was most concerned about seeing out the window, and I couldn't figure out what that was. It was really just about seeing where her stop was."

Eclipse soon became something of a celebrity and commuters would even recognize her in her signature red harness. "All the bus drivers know her. She sits here just like a person does," said commuter Tiona Rainwater. "She makes everybody happy. How could you not love this thing?" A spokesman for Metro Transit also appreciated a dog that appreciated public transportation. "She would be much safer in the world if she had her owner on a leash," he joked.

Eclipse and her owner, Young, frequently visited the dog park, and it amazed people how well she knew the routine. "We get separated. She gets on the bus without me, and I catch up with her at the dog park," Young told the outlet. "It's not hard to get on. She gets on in front of her house and she gets off at the dog park, three or four stops later." 

In a 2015 interview, Young shared that Eclipse’s solo bus rides had become a long-standing tradition. "She's been here the last two years, so she's been urbanized, totally. She's a bus-riding, sidewalk-walking dog," he said. "Probably once a week I get a phone call. 'Hi. I have your dog Eclipse here on 3rd and Bell,'" he recounted. "I have to tell them, 'No. She's fine.' She knows what she's doing."

Young also added that he loves that his sweet dog makes other people happy:  "It makes their day. It's a good part of their day and it works out for her so I just let it go."

Sadly the beautiful canine passed away last year, according to her owner-run Facebook account. According to several posts, she had been diagnosed with cancerous tumors and died in her sleep at the age of 10. “Thank you all for the heartfelt messages about Eclipse Seattle’s Bus Riding Dog. She was loved by so many. RIP in Doggie Heaven you’ll never be forgotten sweet girl,” Young wrote.

The Seattle legend will continue to live on in everyone's hearts. Even the King County Metro responded to her passing at the time and wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Eclipse was a super sweet, world-famous, bus-riding dog and true Seattle icon. You brought joy and happiness to everyone and showed us all that good dogs belong on the bus.” Rest in peace, sweet Eclipse.

Editor's note: This article was originally submitted on October 3, 2023. It has since been updated.