Sweet dog figures out how to ride the bus solo to take herself to the park

Eclipse, a black Labrador-Mastiff mix, became a beloved Seattle icon for her incredible independence. This remarkable dog would hop on a city bus alone and ride to her favorite destination—the local Belltown Dog Park. It all started in 2015 when her owner, Jeff Young, would regularly take the bus with her to the park for their walks. One day, as Young lingered outside finishing a cigarette, Eclipse decided she wasn’t waiting and boarded the bus by herself. From then on, she became a regular solo rider.

At first, many assumed Eclipse was a lost dog. Local radio host Miles Montgomery of "KISW-FM" was one of the many Seattleites intrigued by her behavior. "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 told KOMO News. He added, "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.