Please reinstate the Massachusetts' town Highway Superintendent fired for rescuing pet cat

After reading news reports about a Highway Superintendent in Massachusetts being fired for using the town's bucket truck to rescue a pet cat,  I thought about what a wonderful story that could have made had this man been acknowledged instead of punished. I am submitting this petition in support of acts of kindness toward animals and the people who love them.  

With this petition we respectfully request consideration of the broader benefits Mr. Mackie provided by his actions, and encourage town officials to reinstate him to the three positions he held in May.  Town of Phillipston, please don't let the rescue of a pet be cause for punishment.

Mr. Jim Mackie reportedly had worked for his town of Phillipston, MA for twenty years holding three important positions: Highway Superintendent, Tree Warden and volunteer firefighter. In May of this year he is said to have received a call from the Phillipston Librarian asking if he had any ideas of how to rescue her family's cat who was trapped at least 40 feet up in a spruce tree in her yard where the cat, Caboodle, had run during a thunderstorm.

Caboodle had been trapped in the tree for nearly 48 hours. Cats can become dehydrated quickly, it is a life threatening problem, and with it Caboodle would lose the ability to stay perched on a tree branch.

Jackie Prime had already called the fire department in her resident town of Westminster, MA, 14 miles from Phillipston. The firemen tried, but their ladder was not high enough to reach Caboodle. They recommended calling a tree service but no one was able to help. She then called Phillipston's Tree Warden, Jim Mackie. It does seem there were no options or time left to save the cat and Mr. Mackie used the Phillipston bucket truck to rescue Caboodle.

To many Jim Mackie is a hero. But it got complicated. According to the report there had been a lot of rain and the bucket truck got stuck in mud. Mr. Mackie called upon a Phillipston highway employee to bring a dump truck to free him. The highway employee later filed an ethics complaint against Mr. Mackie and Phillipston Selectmen Chair Tom Brouillet suspended him for two weeks. When Mr. Mackie refused to resign he was fired from all three positions.

Caboodle's family is devastated that their request to save a family pet resulted in this man losing the jobs he loves. Pet cats provide an important emotional bond in many families. We want to live in towns where we might trust that someone like Mr. Mackie would rescue our family pet in such an emergency. After all who else could have? Had Caboodle not been saved the sadness might have been greater knowing  there had been a bucket truck several miles away but technically unavailable.

Mr. Mackie's decision to help a fellow employee and care about a family pet when no other help was available are attributes to be acknowledged.  This man's caring actions reflect well on Phillipston, MA and yet he was fired. 

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/massachusetts-town-worker-fired-for-rescuing-kitty-in-another-burg/