“He was kind, gentle, patient man who loved animals of all kinds and was a huge advocate for them.” Community remembers Mikey Rager

Last month, a true original, an icon of the Borough, Mikey Rager, who many knew as an officer with the Wasilla Police Department (WPD), softball pitcher, gardener, volunteer, and above all, his work with animals, passed away.

For more than 20 years, Rager was a reliable and constant presence at WPD as a reserve officer starting in the '90s. When he retired in 2020, the WPD wrote that Rager “served WPD under every chief we have ever had, met every officer, been in each of our buildings, and even remembers the Astro and Aerostar vans we had in the first fleet. His time in service to the city (and Mat-Su Valley) is literally longer than some of our officers have been alive.”

Rager also worked as the Wasilla Animal Control Officer, reuniting hundreds of pets with their owners, rescuing cats from trees, pythons from yards, and even re-homing an alligator. It’s said the he even wrangled a wayward goat from time to time.

Rager’s love and compassion for animals continued on after his work with the WPD, continuing to help with animals in Houston.

“He was kind, gentle, patient man who loved animals of all kinds and was a huge advocate for them. He fostered many on his own time for a few of the local rescues. And rescued many of them through his job,” said his wife Brenda Howard-Passmore.

Other tributes poured in about Rager’s dedication to the pet community.

“He was a tremendous asset to the pets’ community and will be greatly missed. He was most famous for his "tag nags". He insisted that people put tags on their animals because it is the fastest way of reuniting a lost pet with their owner. He even went as far as to pay several hundred dollars-worth of tags for random people he didn't even know.”

Reminders have also gone out to everyone to tag their pets in memory of Rager.

“…Your compassion for your neighbors and community at large, your volunteerism for Santa Cops & Heroes from its inception, and every single life you saved (human and pet) over your decades of public service. Most importantly, the display of love you always shared for Brenda,” wrote Houston Fire Department Chief Christian Hartley on a social media post liked and shared over 150 times.

Along with his kind spirit, Rager was also known for his love of softball, volunteering within the community, an avid gardener, tending to his Tomatosaurus Rex, spending time with his pack of dogs, and all-around kind man.

There will be a Celebration of Life on Saturday at Bumpus Ballpark, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friends and family invite community members to bring some laughter and share stories, and Rager’s words of wisdom. There will be burgers, his favorite ribs, Mt Dew and water, and the family is asking attendees to bring a dish to share and chairs for seating.

The family is asking, in the spirit of Rager’s love and compassion for animals that in lieu of flowers, to please donate to either Pet Zoo Wasilla ‘tags for pets’-mention Mikey Rager's name-or the Alaska Cat and Dog Rescue (AKCDR).