When a dog really wants to go to the dog park but her owner isn’t around, what’s she supposed to do? If you ask Eclipse the black Labrador-mastiff mix, she’d tell you to wait patiently at the closest bus stop and hop aboard.
Millions of riders utilize Seattle’s public transportation system, but only one passenger brings a smile to virtually everyone’s faces when they see her.
Eclipse scampers aboard the bus, her pass attached to her collar and plops down in a seat where she waits for the bus to drop her off at the dog park.
Tiona Rainwater told KOMO that seeing Eclipse is an awesome way to brighten the day.
“All the bus drivers know her. She sits here just like a person does. She makes everybody happy. How could you not love this face?”
Eclipse receives tons of head pets, ear scratches and tender caresses by other passengers. But many wonder what on earth she’s doing alone on the bus.
Her owner, Jeff Young, lives next to a bus stop. Sometimes Eclipse climbs on board without him if he’s not yet ready to ride. She will cruise through three or four stops before exiting at her destination of choice: the dog park.
In fact, she first did it several years ago and caught everyone off guard. He hopped aboard the very next bus and was maybe 10 minutes behind her.
He couldn’t believe his dog had mastered navigating the public transportation system that day and continues to marvel at his talented canine cutie.
One day, Miles Montgomery, a Seattle radio host and regular on the D-Line, couldn’t believe what he saw when Eclipse scaled the steps of the bus and climbed onto the seat next to him. She stared out the window during the ride, then disembarked at her favorite stop.
He took a selfie with the commuting canine, loving the fact that she plopped down beside him.
King County officials clarified that dogs can ride buses, but it’s up to the driver if they are allowed to ride alone. The bus drivers seem to adore Eclipse and haven’t deterred her yet. She is such a sweetie that they love having her on their bus.
When she’s done hanging with her fellow pooch pals at the park for a couple of hours, she heads back home.
“Many of the regular passengers enjoy seeing her every day and will often sit down next to her.”
Eclipse even has her own Facebook page where thousands upon thousands of people follow her daily adventures. She’s posed for pics with a police officer, sat near Santa and Mrs. Claus and sprawled across three seats when the bus was a bit more vacant.
This four-legged star even appears in a music video from the King County DOT highlighting her journey through Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood. Lauren Campbell shared with TODAY.com that she’s become an icon of sort for Seattle.
“A lot of people consider her the unofficial mascot of Seattle. She’s like a four-legged ambassador.”
In fact, when Jeff climbs aboard the bus solo, people will pester him to know where his four-legged best friend happens to be, which he gets a kick out of.
Eclipse actually used to belong to Jeff’s son, but he eventually became her owner.
“People on the bus now, they look for her. She really makes their day. If I show up without her, people are like, ‘Hi. Where’s Eclipse?’”
Lauren described Eclipse as “very, very independent.”
“She’s very street-wise, and totally urbanized. What that means is, she’ll walk out of our building and our bus stop is right there. She knows exactly which bus to hop on.”
Watch her special video below and see how loved she is on the bus. What an incredible pooch!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
