A Seattle-area dog who became an internet sensation and a local favourite has died at the age of 10.
Eclipse, a black Labrador was known for riding the public bus around the city by herself to get to the dog park. It first happened in 2015, when her owner failed to notice that she had climbed onto the city bus, and astutely exited at the correct stop to reach the dog park they would frequent together.
Her owner, Jeff Young found her playing at the dog park after searching for the precocious canine. Noticing her independence, the owner allowed her to start making regular solo trips, usually two to three times a week.
Eclipse became a friend to the community, especially among bus riders who enjoyed petting the pup on their commute. King County Metro, Seattle’s public transit authority welcomed her as a passenger and eventually made Eclipse their brand ambassador.
A special promotional video titled Eclipse the Bus Riding Dog’s Day Off in Seattle was published on King County Metro’s YouTube page in 2015. In it, Eclipse can be seen with a bus pass strapped to its collar being friendly with passengers, dining at dog-friendly restaurants and running around the city. The video has gained over 500,000 views and the comments come from people around the world.
Lynnette Spratley commented “Wonderful! Kudos to Seattle for making such a great commercial instead of getting all stupid and insisting the dog not ride their buses. Eclipse is a great ambassador for Seattle and mass transit.”
EmeraldWD commented “RIP Eclipse, you brought me many smiles on my occasional commutes.”
Young shared the news of Eclipse’s passing on a Facebook page he made for her called 'Eclipse Seattle’s Bus Riding Dog.' She was diagnosed with cancerous tumors not long before.
“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 will never be forgotten sweet girl,” he wrote.
After her passing, King County Metro wrote on 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.” – The Vibes, October 21, 2022
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