As an Optimum customer living in New York, I suffered a heartbreaking incident under the current corporate policies of Altice USA and its affiliates. One day, my cable service ceased to function, prompting the dispatch of a service technician to my home. The reason for the loss was soon discovered: a family of squirrels had sought refuge in a cable box. Rather than accommodating a humane solution, the technician insisted on adhering to the company's policy - trapping the animals in and calling for extermination. Despite pleading to save these helpless animals and reunite them with their mother, I was met with a cold refusal, citing that it was unavoidable "company policy".  See the Full Story Here 

It's horrifying to see such maltreatment of innocent creatures condoned at a corporate level. However, upon an exhaustive review of both Optimum's and Altice's public-facing documents, there is no explicit wording of such a policy, leaving customers and wildlife in limbo of inhumane treatment. This policy of exterminating wildlife is in stark contrast to the image they portray publicly. 

Altice USA and Optimum are committed to reducing our overall environmental impact and embedding sustainability into our company’s culture and operations. We are building upon a foundation of sustainability and impact initiatives underway and continue to review our actions through the lens of sustainability to improve our environmental footprint in all functional areas across the company.

This petition aims to urgently pressure Altice USA and its affiliates. Instead of immediately resorting to extermination, we urge the company to cooperate with licensed wildlife rescuers to ensure the safe and humane removal of animals or, if possible, to reunite baby animals with their parents. AnimalHelpNow! or AnimalHelpNow.org are great resources that match finders with a rescuer near you. 

Our plea for compassion is not without precedent. Other businesses have implemented such policies, illustrating that cohabitation with wildlife is feasible and morally correct. Evidence shows that the employment of exterminators often results in unnecessary animal suffering and can disturb the ecological balance in residential areas.

This story is not just personal to us; it reverberates with anyone who respects wildlife and values preserving our local ecology. Altice services over 4 million consumers in 21 states. Now is the time for Altice USA to show its commitment to community, biodiversity, and the humane treatment of animals. Sign this petition to call on Altice USA and Optimum to change their policies and prioritize compassion over convenience.