A US telecommunications company is facing the wrath of cat-lovers after it suspended an employee without pay for rescuing a trapped cat.
Verizon made the decision to suspend Maurice German after he used a company hydraulic lift to save a cat stuck on top of a utility pole in Philadelphia.
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The cat, Princess Momma, had been stuck for 12 hours. Her owner had called the fire department, animal control and the telephone company to no avail, reports CBS Philadelphia.
So German stepped in to save Princess Momma, in a rescue that has been praised by social media. However, Verizon was not pleased.
"For safety reasons, our trucks and related equipment are not intended to be used in the area in which he was operating, specifically around electrical wires," a spokesperson for the company told CBS MoneyWatch.
"While our actions may not be popular, he potentially put his life and those around him in jeopardy."
The company certainly has not been popular with social media users.
"Verizon stop this. You're better than this. Give him his job back," wrote one person.
"Suspending him without pay was so uncalled for! This situation was more deserving of a slap on the hand" said another.
However, some people agree with the company's ruling, saying the equipment German was using was unsafe to have around live wires, because it had a metal bucket.
"There is electricity on that pole. The bucket he used is all steel and not designed to be around electricity,"
Newshub.
