February 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 70

Park Bench

Dog-gone Clever

KOMO News

The relationship between dog and man has evolved over centuries.
We're best friends, helpmates and sources of love and affection for
one another. But in the bond between Jeff Young and Eclipse, a Seattle-area man and his two-and-a-half-year-old Labrador mix, there
exists a remarkable level of trust and understanding. " I live in the city
- 90 percent of my time is spent in an urban landscape, " says Young.
" [Eclipse] has to be able to navigate the streets...I ingrained that into her
since she was a puppy. There's nothing worse than a dog that is scattered,
scared and flipped out - that's not Eclipse. If she's out by herself, she
knows exactly where she's going. "
Regular passengers of Belltown's express bus know as much, as Eclipse
often assumes the role of a fellow commuter, patiently angling for a window
seat as she awaits the stop for her local dog park. Miles Montgomery, host
of KISW Rock 99.9FM's " Men's Room, " broke the story in mid-January after noticing Eclipse during his morning commute. " I actually
thought that she was a service dog because she was wearing a red
harness collar and had her tags and everything, " Montgomery says.
" She was wandering up and down the aisle and appeared to have
no owner...She kept looking up at me as if to ask if it was OK to
sit beside me. I told her to come up and she did. I later realized she
just wanted to be able to see out the window so she could get off
at her stop. "
Once, maybe twice a week for the past two years, Eclipse hops on
the bus ahead of Young, and 12 blocks later, the two meet at Belltown's Regrade Park. The first time Eclipse slipped away, Young
immediately " jumped on my motorcycle and flew down to make
sure [she went to Regrade Park], " he says. Indeed, Eclipse was
there, waiting patiently at the .3-acre off-leash dog park located in
the heart of downtown Seattle. David Takami, communications
strategic advisor with Seattle Parks and Recreation, said until the
recent media coverage, his agency was unaware of Eclipse's clever travel practices, but " we welcome visitors of all species and
are delighted that Eclipse has found a unique way of visiting her
favorite dog park. "
Many expressed disbelief that a dog would know which bus to
take, given the plethora of commuter buses traversing Seattle's streets each
day. Young, however, offers a simple explanation: " She catches the express
bus. It's big and red and yellow - the other buses are green. It's low to the
ground with three doors that open simultaneously. [Eclipse] knows that's her
bus and she knows where the dog park is, I assume, because of the smell.
She's familiar with the route now whether she's with me or by herself. " These
days, however, Eclipse is less likely to be by herself - her recent notoriety has
Young concerned for her safety. " Lately I've kept her closer than normal, " he
says, but the pair still regularly visits Regrade Park to enjoy Eclipse's favorite,
if predictable, pastime, " chasing tennis balls. "
- Samantha Bartram, Associate Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine

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February 2015 - Parks & Recreation

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