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.
Port Richmond, Pennsylvania resident Amanda Fairchild Boyce noticed her neighbor’s cat was trapped on a telephone pole
Image credits: gofundme
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.
Image credits: Amanda Boyce
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.
Image credits: Amanda Boyce
Watch German carefully rescue the cat from the pole
“Momma” the cat is rescued in Port Richmond after a long ordeal. See how the community came together to get it done on #CBS3 at 11. (📹= Amanda Boyce) pic.twitter.com/N2hlGoQGNC
— Steve Lindsay CBS (@SteveLindsayCBS) March 17, 2019
Verizon did not like the video and suspended him
Image credits: gofundme
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.
Image credits: Amanda Boyce
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!”
Image credits: gofundme
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.
People were shocked at Verizon’s response to his rescue
I'm a Verizon mobile customer and I'm now officially looking for a new cell service provider...
Verizon sucks! Way overpriced internet and phone service.
Depends on where you live. 100Mb fios for $40 isn't bad.
I've been a customer for a long time. I periodically get a call from them just to see if they can save me some money. While working overseas, I chose an international plan for my service. After about 3 months, I got a call from them and the guy on their end told me I had chosen the wrong plan but put me on the right one and then credited me for the money I had overspent. I have been privy to special rates for long term customers as well. I think I'll stay right where I am and still save a lot of money.
Make sure when you cancel your service that you tell them why. Companies need to know that our dollars speak.
Did that guy basically put that he is a toilet to special rates.
Hmm is there a way to leave a review on Version? Everybody NEEDS to leave a one star review saying "You suspended the guy who saved a cat"
YES
I use Cricket Wireless and absolutely swear by it. I've had AT&T, Tmobile, Sprint, and MetroPCS in the past and they don't hold a candle to Cricket. I never find dead zones, even in the mountains, which is important because I camp often. They reward loyalty by increasing data limits, and they do not charge if you go over your data cap - they only throttle. You can buy additional data month to month if you need it, but I pay $50 for 25GB and have never gone over.
It's crazy how cheap it is. In Canada (*Québec, not sure if it's the same in the others provinces) it's around 90$, call unlimited night and weekend only, 10 GB. It's on sale for 6 months, after that it's at least 20$ more and 6GB. It's sadly not the highest I saw, the minimum wage is 12$ just in comparison
Good for you.
Make sure Verizon knows why you're switching.
Verizon, that's exatcly how NOT to act when one of your employees helps other people (and their cat, of course)
Good on you fella. The cat is worth way more than the moron who thinks you should lose your job.
THANK YOU! GOOD POINT!
Cats are full of love and they are worth it.
I'm a Verizon mobile customer and I'm now officially looking for a new cell service provider...
Verizon sucks! Way overpriced internet and phone service.
Depends on where you live. 100Mb fios for $40 isn't bad.
I've been a customer for a long time. I periodically get a call from them just to see if they can save me some money. While working overseas, I chose an international plan for my service. After about 3 months, I got a call from them and the guy on their end told me I had chosen the wrong plan but put me on the right one and then credited me for the money I had overspent. I have been privy to special rates for long term customers as well. I think I'll stay right where I am and still save a lot of money.
Make sure when you cancel your service that you tell them why. Companies need to know that our dollars speak.
Did that guy basically put that he is a toilet to special rates.
Hmm is there a way to leave a review on Version? Everybody NEEDS to leave a one star review saying "You suspended the guy who saved a cat"
YES
I use Cricket Wireless and absolutely swear by it. I've had AT&T, Tmobile, Sprint, and MetroPCS in the past and they don't hold a candle to Cricket. I never find dead zones, even in the mountains, which is important because I camp often. They reward loyalty by increasing data limits, and they do not charge if you go over your data cap - they only throttle. You can buy additional data month to month if you need it, but I pay $50 for 25GB and have never gone over.
It's crazy how cheap it is. In Canada (*Québec, not sure if it's the same in the others provinces) it's around 90$, call unlimited night and weekend only, 10 GB. It's on sale for 6 months, after that it's at least 20$ more and 6GB. It's sadly not the highest I saw, the minimum wage is 12$ just in comparison
Good for you.
Make sure Verizon knows why you're switching.
Verizon, that's exatcly how NOT to act when one of your employees helps other people (and their cat, of course)
Good on you fella. The cat is worth way more than the moron who thinks you should lose your job.
THANK YOU! GOOD POINT!
Cats are full of love and they are worth it.