Seattle is mourning one of their most beloved local celebrities: Eclipse, the smart and independent dog famous for riding the bus to the dog park all on her own, has died at the age of 10.
Her owner Jeff Young announced the news on Friday, October 14, writing on the dog’s Facebook account that Eclipse “died in her sleep” that morning.
The owner previously stated that Eclipse had cancerous tumors.
Eclipse, who was half Mastiff and half black lab, first went viral and made headlines in 2015, thanks to her habit of taking the King County Metro buses all by herself.
Owner Jeff Young, from Seattle, would often take Eclipse to the dog park via the bus line. But one day, Eclipse decided her owner was taking too long and decided to hop on the bus on her own.
The dog proceeded to take her familiar route to the dog park, got off on her own, and the owner caught up with her later.
Jeff realized his dog had a knack for public transportation, and soon it became a regular thing for Eclipse to hop the bus to the park on her own.
“We get separated. She gets on the bus without me, and I catch up with her at the dog park,” Jeff told KOMO News in 2015. “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.”
“She’s been here the last two years, so she’s been urbanized, totally. She’s a bus-riding, sidewalk-walking dog,” he explained. “Probably once a week I get a phone call. ‘Hi. I have your dog Eclipse here on 3rd and Bell. I have to tell them, ‘no. She’s fine.’ She knows what she’s doing.”
Other passengers took notice of Eclipse riding the bus all by herself, and she soon became a favorite of the commuters and bus drivers.
“She makes everybody happy. How could you not love this thing?” commuter Tiona Rainwater told KOMO.
Eclipse became so famous that King County Metro embraced their most beloved commuter. They even made a music video showing Eclipse on one trip to the park, clearly having a good time and enjoying the attention:
Sadly, Eclipse has taken her final ride, and the bus will never be quite the same.
In a final tribute, King County Metro posted a photo of the dog on Twitter, thanking her for all the joy she brought people over the years.
“Eclipse was a super sweet, world-famous, bus riding dog and true Seattle icon,” the company wrote. “You brought joy and happiness to everyone and showed us all that good dogs belong on the bus.”
Rest in peace, Eclipse. Thank you for delighting so many bus passengers over the years. What a smart dog you were.
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