Part of owning a dog is taking the responsibility of walking every day. Our dogs need exercise – especially the breeds who were originally meant for hard, intense work. They definitely need to shake off that extra energy with some quality time at the local dog park. But when you work a long 8-hour day, coming home only to go back out walking, can sometimes be a little exhausting. However, we do it for our furbabies.
But that doesn’t mean that sometimes, when we’re dragging ourselves along to walk our dog, we’re not wishing, “it would be nice if they could walk themselves.”
While it’s a thought that every dog owner has had at least once, for one dog, it’s become a reality. Yes, you read that correctly. One dog has figured out exactly how to get the bus to and from the dog park all on her own!
The clever canine is a black Labrador Retriever-cross-Mastiff named Eclipse. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her owner Jeff Young. Prior to her public transport days, she used to be walked by Jeff – who used to take her to the bus stop in order to get to the Belltown Dog Park.
On a Facebook page that was set up for Eclipse, Robbie Lauren, a native of Seattle, explained that Eclipse’s routine with Jeff eventually led her to figure out how to get around on her own without her owner’s help.
As Robbie wrote, “It started when her owner, Jeff Young, was taking too long when the bus arrived, so she impatiently ran ahead and got on the bus by herself.”
Robbie continued, “The bus driver recognized her and dropped her off at the dog park, and later Jeff caught up with her. After several more trips by herself, Jeff started letting her go on her own, and she always comes back home a couple of hours later.”
Robbie added, “Every day she leaves her house, by herself, and takes the bus downtown to the dog park where she spends a couple of hours getting exercise and making friends, and then she takes the bus back home again. She even has her own bus pass attached to the collar.”
Eclipse has become somewhat of a local celebrity on the D Line after plenty of people commuting on the bus have begun uploading pictures of the independent canine.
Her Facebook page has amassed 90,000 followers.
Lauren, another local resident, added how much joy is derived from seeing Eclipse get on the bus, “All of the bus drivers know her and she makes them smile, and many of the regular passengers enjoy seeing her every day and will often sit down next to her.”
Lauren added, “Even the police have given their approval as long as the bus drivers are okay with the arrangement. She makes everybody happy.”
You can’t argue with that – dogs always radiate happiness wherever they go.
Eclipse’s owner, Jeff, has stated that he regularly received worried phone calls from people who think she’s a runaway. However, this owner who’s now off the hook for walk-time, always reassures those callers that Eclipse isn’t lost – she’s quite capable and doesn’t need anyone walking her to the dog park.
Who else wants to now plan a trip to Seattle just in hopes of meeting Eclipse on the bus?
