US Amazon worker fired after taking family cat
Amazon ends driver’s delivery role Live Events Amazon driver says he instantly recognized the cat Adoption records presented as proof Cat ownership dispute remains unresolved
Amazon ends driver’s delivery role Live Events Amazon driver says he instantly recognized the cat Adoption records presented as proof Cat ownership dispute remains unresolved Woman claiming ownership says she has had Junie for five years Driver says he simply recovered his pet Investigation remains open as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Addas a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel An Amazon delivery driver caught on camera picking up a family’s cat from their doorstep in California's Bakersfield and walking away has defended his actions, claiming the animal was actually his own missing pet.The incident, which quickly went viral online, sparked outrage after doorbell camera footage appeared to show a delivery driver taking a cat named Junie. However, the driver, Joshua Gonzalez, says the situation is being misunderstood and insisted he simply reunited with a pet he had been searching for.The dispute has now become a case of competing ownership claims, with both sides maintaining that the cat belongs to them.The controversy has already had professional consequences for Gonzalez. He revealed that he was informed he would no longer be working in his delivery position.“My manager calls me. Says to come pick up my check before Monday or Tuesday and that I was being terminated,” Gonzalez said.Amazon later confirmed that Gonzalez is no longer permitted to deliver packages on the company’s behalf.“We’ve been in contact with the driver’s employer and the driver is no longer allowed to deliver Amazon packages.
We’ll continue to work with law enforcement and will defer to them for details as they investigate.”The company did not provide additional details regarding the ongoing investigation.Speaking to KGET News, Gonzalez said the encounter happened while he was delivering a package in Bakersfield as part of his normal route. According to him, he had no intention of taking an animal when he arrived at the property.“I was just doing my regular route. I approached the house. I got Brenda’s package, and I took it like a normal day,” Gonzalez told KGET News.But after hearing a meow, he says he looked down and immediately recognized the feline.“I recognized it was my cat because of its distinct forehead design, the eyes, and how the body was set. I knew it was my cat. So I just grabbed him and walked off.”The footage captured Gonzalez picking up the cat and leaving the property, leading many viewers to believe he had stolen a family pet.In response to the controversy, Gonzalez has produced paperwork that he said proves the cat belongs to him and his family.According to the documents, the cat was adopted on October 9, 2025. Gonzalez said he originally chose the animal for his 7-year-old daughter and later provided the records to his employer after the incident became public.The driver maintains that he acted in good faith because he believed he had found a pet that had gone missing from his household.At the center of the controversy is a disagreement over the cat’s identity.
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