By Leila Nasr [1]
TRENTON – Mr. Moosey [2], a plush, stuffed moose, has come to Trenton – his first destination in Ontario.
Mr. Moosey sitting comfortably in his suitcase after the event on Jan. 10, 2019. Photo by Leila Nasr, QNet News
He arrived there on Thursday.
The initiative of shipping the stuffed animal to different cities, states and countries began in Pennsylvania on Dec. 5, 2016 when five-year-old Mackenzie gave Mr. Moosey to an on-duty officer in Pennsylvania to keep him safe after he pulled over her mother for an expired license plate.
Mackenzie insisted that the officer take Mr. Moosey to keep him safe, according to Jason Barnim, a corporal for the military police at CFB Trenton [3].
The moose has come to symbolize safety for emergency service employees. It’s a way of bringing them together as he makes his way around North America, and eventually to different parts of the world.
Fire Department employees holding and huddled around Mr. Moosey on Jan. 10, 2019 at the fire detachment in Trenton. Photo by Leila Nasr, QNet News
“If you look right here in front of us, we got the Quinte West Fire Department, the EMS from Hastings-Quinte, and we have the military police,” said community safety officer of Quinte West Detachment for O.P.P. Derrick Osmond.
“It’s brought us all together here just today to have a conversation about the importance of you know, the generosity of this young girl and the importance of first responders working together in partnership.”
Initially the officer who received Mr. Moosey was planning to give the moose back to Mackenzie after giving him to the local emergency services.
However, another nearby township became interested in obtaining the moose, so they received him the next day. That’s how the initiative began to send Mr. Moosey to different cities, states and finally countries.