Verizon Suspends Employee After He Used Work Equipment to Rescue a Stranded Cat

It’s not every day you hear about a community coming together to accomplish a specific task. Yet, this recently occurred in the town of Port Richmond, Philadelphia. Unfortunately, what was believed to be a happy ending resulted in an employee of Verizon being suspended from his job. 

Credit: Amanda Boyce

CBS Local reports that in mid-March, a cat named Princess Momma stranded herself on top of a light pole. Reportedly, she was stuck there for 12 hours. Her humans frantically called the fire department and even animal rescue. No one was available to help.

After many hours passed Sandy McLeish, an animal activist, found Maurice German, an employee of Verizon, in the neighborhood. She asked German to help rescue Momma. The heartwarming footage can be viewed below:

The town of Port Richmond was elated by the generous act but the telecommunications company was not. German was suspended for endangering himself and others. “We take no joy in this job action. However, we’re committed and responsible for keeping our employees and customers safe while working in a particular area,” said Rich Young, a spokesperson for the company.

Boyce was one of many citizens upset by the company’s retaliation so she put the company on blast with an online post. She also asked people to spread the word of his generous act across the internet.

Credit: Amanda Boyce

Since Boyce created the post, a GoFundMe page has been started for German. The bystander wrote, “This generous man is now being punished! Maurice is being suspend from his job for saving an animal. Let’s support Maurice for his good deed while his employer punishes him!”  The campaign exceeded its goal within several days and people are continuing to donate because they were moved by German’s willingness to help someone in need.

Credit: Go Fund Me

A petition has also been started by the public to reinstate German. “Maurice German is an animal hero who saved a beloved family cat!” reads the petition, which as of Friday morning had garnered more than 30,000 signatures. “Instead of being suspended, German should be rewarded for his compassion and courage.”

What are your thoughts? Did the company act appropriately? Please comment below and share this news!