Toronto Maple Leafs star and Durham Police partner on new K9 Unit training suit

Toronto Maple Leaf star Mitch Marner and Durham Police’s K9 Unit have teamed up on a new and improved Marner-themed canine apprehension training suit after the original suit was destroyed in a fire.

After the loss, the Marner Assist Foundation reached out to the K9 Unit and offered to replace the original signed training suit. Last summer two members of the Unit, along with PSD Klutch and PSD Rogue, reconnected with Marner to have him autograph the improved suit.

The original autographed Marner Suit had established itself as a popular ‘Show and Tell’ piece used by handlers during dozens of community events and presentations over the years. The replacement suit was re-designed to loosely replicate a Marner Jersey, with the K9 Unit staff providing custom made numbers and name patches to the manufacturer to improve the appearance of the new suit and to help mimic Marner’s actual jersey.

As a token of their appreciation to Marner, his family and the Marner Assist Foundation,  K9 officers presented the Leafs’ star with a DRPS uniform K9 patch and an official K9 Unit dog leash to be used to walk Marner’s own dog, Zeus.

Durham Police and the K9 Unit also thanked Marner and the Foundation for its “generous equipment contribution and for its ongoing support for youth.”

The goal of the Marner Assist Foundation is to generate sustainable change for children and youth by providing resources that will make a significant impact on their lives. The focus is to help in children’s social care, health and education as well as supporting environmental causes to ensure children have a sustainable future.

For more information, please visit www.marnerassistfoundation.com