Funeral director dumped pets’ bodies, gave owners different ashes: Prosecutors
A Pittsburgh funeral home owner is facing charges connected to accusations he dumped thousands of pets’ bodies and gave pet owners different ashes. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced the charges against Patrick Vereb, the funeral home director at the center of the case, on Monday, April 28.
An investigation by the attorney general’s office found Vereb stole more than $650,000 from customers who paid for their animals’ burials and cremations between 2021 and 2024, Sunday said.
Vereb, who owns Vereb Funeral Home and Pet Memorial, was charged with improper disposal of dogs and cats, “for which owners paid for cremations, burials, return of ashes and other services,” according to a press release.
More specifically, the charges are felonies, including “theft by deception, receiving stolen property and deceptive business practices.”
How many people are affected?
State prosecutors said Vereb took money from pet owners who thought they were receiving private cremations or burials for their dogs or cats. Instead, prosecutors said, he dumped many of the animals’ bodies at a landfill and gave customers the ashes of other animals that have not been identified.
The investigation into the case “identified more than 6,500 victims from Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington and Westmoreland counties.”
“This case is disturbing, and will cause devastation and heartache for many Pennsylvanians,” Sunday said. “Our pets are members of our families, and this defendant betrayed and agonized pet owners who entrusted him to provide dignified services for their beloved cats and dogs. I commend our investigative team for a comprehensive review of voluminous records which uncovered this long-running pattern of theft and deception.”
What can potential victims do?
The Attorney General’s office created a webpage where potential victims can provide contact information, give impact statements and get updates on the ongoing case against Vereb.
According to Sunday’s office, roughly a dozen veterinary practices and businesses worked with investigators to uncover prosecutors’ findings.
How have locals reacted?
Tiffany Mantzouridis, a former intern for Vereb, told KDKA-TV she saw questionable practices at the business, including seeing pets’ bodies in garbage bags sitting on top of freezers, as well as improper record keeping.
”He would take the ashes back from the crematory, and they come back in a big bag with plastic bags with twist ties on them that have the metal tag twisted onto them,” Mantzouridis said. “And then, for some unknown reason, (he) would take that bag into his apartment, close the door, mess around with the ashes and they would all come back and in Ziploc baggies with no tags.”
One pet owner who had her pet cremated at the funeral home said she still has a Ziploc baggie without a proper tag, which led her to question whether the remains she has are actually those of her cat. She said the case is “disturbing.”
A rescue shelter that sent dogs’ bodies for services at the business called the charges and findings “not just a mistake but a betrayal” to those who intended to have their pets properly cremated or buried.
Sunday’s office said Vereb was arraigned on the charges on Monday, but has since been released. A preliminary hearing on the case is scheduled for Thursday, May 9.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
