Eclipse, Seattle’s favorite driver dog, has died at the age of 10. The black Labrador-Mastiff mix or Mastador, as her father Jeff Young affectionately called her, became a local icon when she began taking public transportation herself.
One day, after Yang finished her morning cigarette, she got on the bus without him, hopping off at their usual stop. So the story started from there.
Eclipse soon gained worldwide fame for her shenanigans in Seattle. Armed with her own bus pass, she visited the park two or three times a week, cheerfully greeting her friends along the way. Many find that a friendly puppy brightened up their dreary journey.
Even Seattle’s public transit authority, King Country Metro, has accepted their furry fare by making Eclipse its brand ambassador. In 2015, they created a promotional music video titled «Bus Doggy Dog» in which Eclipse travels around town «dining at dog-friendly restaurants, shopping, and visiting the local movie theater.»
Young has long maintained a Facebook page in honor of the Eclipse, where her fans can follow her adventures and post candid photos from Eclipse.
Thousands of page subscribers have posted messages of support and favorite memories of Eclipse. Many also contributed to the cost of having the dog cremated so Young could keep a piece of the Eclipse with him forever.
King County Metro tweeted about the special dog.
“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.”
One Facebook fan recommended that city officials build a statue in honor of Eclipse at her favorite bus stop.
She loves hugs and the color red. What’s so special about an urban dog riding a bus, you ask? Eclipse rides the Seattle D-line five stops to the local dog park on her own.
After driving daily with her owner, Jeff Young, Eclipse got tired of waiting for him to finish his morning cigarette. One day she decided to jump herself and has been doing it ever since!
She is a true Seattle star and her fellow travelers are more than happy to keep an eye on her.
A five-year-old «black mastador» runs along the aisle until it finds an empty seat. She often rides next to strangers, using her doggy charms to turn them into friends by the time her bus stop arrives. Eclipse even has dedicated fans who call themselves ecliptomaniacs.
Eclipse has become such a staple of Seattle life that the King County Department of Transportation made a music video featuring a precocious dog. In it, she enjoys an action-packed day off in Seattle, “visiting everywhere she likes to go with the new Puget Sound Trip Planner App.”
