Eclipse, the dog who learned to ride the Seattle-area’s bus system alone in order to visit her favorite park, has died, her owner said on social media.
A Facebook account run by the dog’s owner announced Friday that the black lab-bullmastiff mix died in her sleep. She was 10 years old and had recently been diagnosed with cancerous tumors.
Eclipse became popular in 2015 when she summoned the gumption to board a King County bus without her owner Jeff Young who was taking too long finishing a cigarette, according to NPR. Mr. Young later found Eclipse four stops down at the two’s original destination — her beloved Belltown dog park.
Eclipse was a super sweet, world-famous, bus riding dog and true Seattle icon.
— King County Metro 🚏 🚌🚎⛴🚐 (@KingCountyMetro) October 14, 2022
You brought joy and happiness to everyone and showed us all that good dogs belong on the bus. pic.twitter.com/YhSFjNGU05
Eclipse began making regular solo trips on the bus soon after her initial venture and became a viral sensation not long after that.
Coverage of the bus-riding pup included a music video created by Seattle’s King County Metro transit system, which operates the buses.
Eclipse was also featured in “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! 100 Years book” and even has a book written from her perspective (with the help of owner Mr. Young and Dorothy Hinshaw Patent) titled “Dog on Board: The True Story of Eclipse, the Bus-Riding Dog,” according to KCPQ, the Fox affiliate in Seattle.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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