Verizon Suspends Worker Who Rescued Cat Using His Work Equipment

Not all heroes wear capes some wear hardhats and yellow vests. Maurice German, a Verizon employee, was working in Port Richmond when he answered the distressed call of neighbors regarding their cat Princess Momma, who had been stuck on a telephone pole for the past 12 hours. However, what ended as a happy story for the cat ended with a job suspension for German.

The cat owners were distraught and said they had attempted to contact the animal rescue, the fire department, and other organizations for help but had been unsuccessful. Thankfully for them, German accepted the challenge and was recorded in a video from CBS Philly reporter Steve Lindsay, rescuing the animal with the help of his company equipment. Well, it turns out that Verizon does not have a soft spot for kitty rescue videos and responded by suspending the worker. In response to his suspension, the internet has rallied around German in a truly heartwarming way.

Boyce said told CBS that the cat got stuck at around 10:30 pm on a Friday. She and her neighbors had tried to rescue the cat themselves at first before calling for some outside help.

One of Boyce's neighbors Sandy McLeish, an animal activist, was the one to find the Verizon worker, who agreed to help them with their rescue mission.

The community was touched by German's selfless act of goodwill, but Verizon said that the worker had put himself and those around him in danger and suspended him. “We take no joy in this job action,” Verizon spokesperson Rich Young said. “However, we’re committed and responsible for keeping our employees and customers safe while working in a particular area.”

In response to Verizon's suspension, Boyce put the company on blast with an online post and asked people to spread the word of his generosity across the internet in support.

Word caught on of German's story and a bystander from Friday's rescue even created a GoFundMe page to support him, writing: "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 donations exceeded the goal by Sunday and raised close to $3,000. People touched by the story have continued to contribute to the cause and the donation number continues to go up.