Life after death

WASILLA — Although he says he could never find someone to replace his dog Sheba, Jack Runser said that come fall he’ll have another dog helping him with daily tasks and, hopefully, another friend sharing his life.

Runser, 38, has been deaf with cerebral palsy since birth. Sheba was his service dog, one he raised from a pup and who helped him live on his own, alerting him when someone was at the door or his phone was ringing. Jack said she even saved his life once, alerting him to a fire. In November, the two were walking together when Sheba ran into traffic and was killed. Runser thinks she was looking for him.

It’s been a tough time for Runser, dealing with his grief while at the same time trying to move on and find another companion. Tuesday he said through an interpreter that he’s been working with an organization that trains service dogs in Arizona.

They’ve got a border collie named Sammy they’re working on for him. And he’s flying down there next month to get acquainted.

“A big thing I want to do, I want to tell the city a big thank you for the ton of support they’ve given me,” Runser said. “It’s been amazing.”

Runser told his story to the Frontiersman in December. After the story ran, the Frontiersman received numerous calls and dozens of e-mails offering to help, a deluge that didn’t abate until months after the story appeared.

Runser said he’s had that kind of contact with people here and there but, being deaf and communicating through sign language, there’s a substantial language barrier.

“A lot of people don’t have that direct contact with me,” he said.

Still, he’s been able to gauge the support with another yardstick — the donations that poured in to a charity account the Wasilla Police Employees Association set up. That money went a long way to putting Runser and Sammy together.

“Wow. Wow is all I can say,” Runser said of that support. “The anonymous people there in the community who’ve wanted to help me. I’m just like, wow, incredible.”

So far, he said, he’s put a down payment on the dog and has been paying other expenses related to his care and the cost of bringing him to Alaska. He still owes the service dog organization money for Sammy.

In previous interviews, Runser has talked about joining the Peace Corps or doing other socially minded work, possibly abroad. Part of why he wanted an officially certified dog is that airlines are much more likely to allow a dog on board if that kind of paperwork is in order.

Tuesday, Runser didn’t rule out those possibilities but seemed to have another plan in mind, born mainly from his experiences after Sheba’s passing.

“I suppose, if I have enough money after all of the expenses, I’d really like to go and get training to become a trainer, a certified trainer for service animals,” Runser said.

There are a few people doing that kind of work in Alaska, even an organization he’s heard of in Seward. Runser thinks doing that kind of work could help him give back in to the community.

“I’d like to be able to help other people get a dog,” he said. “And maybe get a little more public awareness out there.”

As for his new dog, Runser said he’s not sure if the name Sammy will stick.

“I have to see if I can even say ‘Sammy’ to the dog,” Runser said. He has an extremely limited speech capability, but the ability to summon his dog is somewhat essential.

In Sheba’s case, “She knew when I was calling her or talking to her,” Runser said. “And everyone else who spoke to her, she knew her name.”

Runser said he plans to say his final goodbyes to Sheba this summer. He’s going to spread some of her ashes on his mom’s property in Palmer and some on a hike up Pioneer Peak. Both were places he and Sheba enjoyed visiting.

And, he said, he still feels indebted to her. Sheba and Runser were a common sight around town. People still ask about her and express condolences when Runser tells them what happened. He thinks that a lot of what got folks interested in helping him was Sheba’s personality and the connection she forged with people in the community.

“Still, after her passing, she’s still looking out for me,” he said.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.