Latest news with #Vereb
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State lawmaker plans to introduce legislation regulating handling of pet remains by funeral homes
State lawmakers are preparing a first-of-its-kind legislation in Pennsylvania, seeking a regulatory framework around pet funeral home services. We spoke with people who say it's bittersweet as they are still reeling from the actions of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Pittsburgh funeral home owner accused of dumping pets in landfill instead of cremating them 'If nothing else, it makes me feel good that there is some sort of justice for my dog and other pet owners that are victims of this person's heinous crimes,' said Maria Briggs, who is a victim of the Vereb Funeral Home actions. She thinks of her late dog Ellie often, especially after her name was on one of the many lists of pets the Attorney General said were wrongfully dumped in a landfill by Patrick Vereb. Now, this legislation is being proposed in the State Senate to keep this from happening again. 'I certainly hope that justice is going to be served, Briggs said. 'I hope that this Patrick Vereb gets what he deserves.' Vereb is accused of dumping over 6,500 pets into a landfill after owners paid hundreds of dollars for the cremation of their pets. The memo about the bill, which will be known as Holding Funeral Homes Accountable for Pet Cremations, says it's an effort to 'create an offense related to misrepresenting the disposal of animal remains and include additional penalties on funeral directors and their licenses for violating this act. ' Senator Nick Pisciottano (D-45) serves as Co-Chairman of the Animal Protection Caucus. He said when he heard about the case, he couldn't help but think of his two rescue dogs. 'We have actually gone to funeral homes to get our dogs cremated in the past. So, it really struck a personal tone with me and a lot of our constituents talked about actually having to grieve their lost pets a second time,' Pisciottano said. There is no timeline for when the bill will be introduced or reach the Governor's desk, but Pisciottano hopes it will move quickly as it has support from both sides of the aisle. A class action lawsuit was filed at the Allegheny County Courthouse against funeral home owner Patrick Vereb. He is also facing state charges and is currently out on bail. Vereb is scheduled for an arraignment on June 18 at 2 p.m. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Daily Mail
'Macabre way' Pennsylvania funeral home 'handled pets after pocketing $650k' from their heartbroken owners
A Pennsylvania funeral director allegedly betrayed thousands of grieving pet owners by claiming their beloved animals were being cremated when in reality, they were being dumped in a landfill. Patrick Vereb, the 70-year-old owner of Eternity Pet Memorial in Pittsburgh, is accused of pocketing more than $650,000 over three years by charging more than 6,500 pet owners for burial and cremation services. However, the funeral director actually returned ashes from other unknown animals instead, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office. On Monday, Vereb was charged with the improper disposal of thousands of dogs and cats, whose remains were entrusted to the pet cemetery for end-of-life services. 'This case is disturbing, and will cause devastation and heartache for many Pennsylvanians,' Attorney General David Sunday said during a press conference. '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,' he added. 'I commend our investigative team for a comprehensive review of voluminous records which uncovered this long-running pattern of theft and deception.' Eternity Pet Memorial offered two types of services - common burials, when pets are buried together in the cemetery, and private cremation, when a pet is individually cremated before their ashes are swiftly returned to the owner. In the charges filed, the business was said to offer 'cremation services that lay your pet to rest in a way that is dignified and celebrates their life', The Times reported. The cemetery's website reiterated this promise, stating that their cremation service 'allows the ashes to be returned to you'. However, in July and August of last year, staff at the pet funeral home became suspicious when they realized Vereb was allegedly taking in more animals than he was sending off for cremation. 'But he was still charging for the cremation process and providing ashes to the vets and to the individual pet owners for animals that were not actually cremated,' April-Noelle Campbell and Austin Kaminski, agents that worked for Vereb, said, according to The Times. An extensive investigation launched by the Attorney General's Office ultimately uncovered at least 6,500 pets, scheduled for cremation between 2021 and 2024, were never actually cremated. 'Instead of proper cremations, burials and returns of ashes to customers, he took thousands of animals to a landfill for disposal,' Sunday said. 'Thousands of customers who paid for their pet's ashes received ashes from other, unknown animals.' During the investigation, Vereb allegedly told investigators that because the crematorium often 'took too long' to return ashes, he would give owners leftover ashes from another animal to 'make them feel good for the day, if nothing else'. Staff said they frequently observed large dogs scheduled for burial being sent to the crematorium, with investigators suggesting that their ashes were subsequently redistributed to pet owners and falsely labeled as those of their own deceased animals. 'In essence, if an animal was at the crematorium for over a week, Vereb would use the ashes he had on hand to cover for that owner's pet,' the two agents explained. 'Then, when that animal's actual ashes were returned to Vereb, he would use them for another pet.' Common burials, the standard burial service at Eternity Pet Memorial, involved burying remains alongside those of other animals. Yet during the investigation, Vereb allegedly told law enforcement that he had not used pet cemeteries 'in a while' and 'he instead dumped the animals in a landfill'. Agents Kaminski and Campbell eventually cross-referenced the list of pets scheduled for common burial with records from the landfill, uncovering a startling discrepancy. Investigators unearthed landfill receipts showing that the company had dumped more than 170,000 pounds of 'animal carcasses', despite the funeral home only documenting the burial of 490 pets, totaling 27,000 pounds, between 2021 and 2024. 'These records indicate an incredibly large number of animals were being dumped rather than being cremated as promised,' the agents said. Vereb was ultimately charged with felony counts of theft by deception, receiving stolen property and deceptive business practices. However, people are still grappling with the painful realization that the ashes they believed to be their beloved pets' were never truly theirs at all. 'As a pet owner myself I can't imagine the heartbreak in learning that you were affected by a crime like this,' Sunday expressed. Hundreds of alleged victims have turned to social media to express their devastation over the realization, as many begin to piece together the truth of what happened to their late pets. Some have even resorted to weighing the ashes they received, trying to make sense of the heartbreaking betrayal. In one post, a woman shared a photo alongside her late dog, revealing that two of her deceased pets' remains were mishandled as part of the disturbing scheme. 'Please have some grace today as I navigate this form myself, and look for answers regarding what happened to my beloved dogs,' she wrote. 'My heart is shattered, and hurts for not only my own family and dogs, but the estimated 6,500 other families who were also impacted by this heinous act.' Emily Naugle, another alleged victim, shared photos of her dog Sadie to Facebook, saying 'words can't even describe' what Vereb has caused thousands of families. 'To take advantage of grieving pet owners and have no respect to animals that he claims took 'gentle care of' by dumping them in landfills and then sending the pets ashes to the owners is cruel beyond words,' Naugle wrote to Facebook 'To take advantage of grieving pet owners and have no respect to animals that he claims took 'gentle care of' by dumping them in landfills and then sending the pets ashes to the owners is cruel beyond words,' she wrote. 'We do not know yet if this affected our Sadie, we may never know. My heart goes out to everyone who is dealing with this news.' The Attorney General's Office launched a dedicated website to connect victims with their office, as they work together to uncover the truth of what happened to their pets. 'Since the launch of the website, we've had over 3,800 form submissions on the website,' Sunday said, CBS News reported. 'And so that's a lot. We have not seen anything like this before in the AG's office.' Vereb has since been released on his own recognizance but is scheduled to appear in court on May 9 for a preliminary hearing.
CBS News
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Pet parents turn to Facebook for grief support after funeral home director accused of mistreating bodies
More fallout tonight following a KDKA Investigation into local funeral director Patrick Vereb and his pet cremation business, Eternity Pet Memorial. KDKA Investigates is working to get answers for grieving pet owners and more clarification on who could be impacted by his alleged fraud. KDKA Consumer Investigator Meghan Schiller learned that, as pet owners are forced to grieve their beloved pets all over again, many are planning to protest at Vereb's upcoming hearing. Some are in talks with interested attorneys, considering if there's a path for a civil lawsuit. All the while, Vereb is making moves business-wise. A private Facebook group is now the emotional outlet for thousands of grieving pet parents, believed to have fallen victim to Vereb's alleged deceptive and fraudulent scheme. "I will be at every hearing, and so will my boyfriend," pet parent Rosemary Sabol said. "I think it is going to be healing for people. I had planned to go with pictures of my Ringo." Sabol says she's never known a bond like the one she had with Ringo. Now, she's left with a Ziploc bag, no ID number and ashes she doesn't even think look like ashes. "And now to find out all of this, it's really hard. This is the first pet in my life I've ever had cremated. So, what do you think that's going to do going forward? Do you think I'll do it again? No," said Sabol. KDKA Investigates learned on Thursday that Vereb waived his May 9 preliminary hearing. That means court proceedings are delayed until June 18. It's upsetting news for pet parents who hoped to face Vereb next week. "Not well at all," pet parent Denise Brzezinski said. "You see more horror stories online. Now, I just saw that he has postponed his hearing until later in the month." Brzezinski has two pillows with the faces of Mac and Bailey, her two beloved Shih Tzus. They allegedly were cremated by Vereb's Eternity Pet Memorial. "It's heartbreaking that you love these animals, and they were tossed in a landfill," said Brzezinski. "It's just heartbreaking, just heartbreaking. I cried all day when I saw this." A recent real estate posting shows Vereb is in the process of selling his Natrona Heights funeral home location. It was recently renovated and had a grand opening last summer. KDKA Investigates talked to the head of the real estate team handling the sale of that location. He said Vereb failed to tell him about the criminal charges against him until after signing the offer letter. He still expects it'll close in the next six to eight weeks, but adds the buyer does not plan to operate the space as a funeral home. Also, since KDKA's investigation aired, Vereb has deleted the social media pages for both locations. KDKA Investigates also spotted a job posting circulating on the popular job site Indeed. The job listing is for a funeral director at Vereb Funeral Home. It does not mention anything about pet cremations or the Eternity Pet Memorial offshoot business. On Thursday, in a Facebook post, River Valley Veterinary Hospital said it plans to file a civil lawsuit against Vereb.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Pittsburgh funeral director charged with swindling pet owners, dumping pets' remains in landfill
The owner of a Pittsburgh funeral home was arrested Monday after allegedly stealing more than $650,000 from customers who paid for pet burial and cremation services, throwing their animals in a landfill and giving them the ashes of other, unknown animals. Patrick Roy Vereb, owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial, is charged with multiple felony counts of theft by deception, receiving stolen property and deceptive business practices, according to a news release from Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday. Vereb, 70, surrendered Monday afternoon and was arraigned on the charges. He was released on his own recognizance. Delaware Suspects In Unreturned Rental Van Fatally Strike 1, Injure Several Others Fleeing Police: Authorities Nearly a dozen veterinary practices and businesses confirmed that Vereb collected at least $657,517 in fees from pet owners between 2021 and 2024 who were promised a private cremation for their pet, but they did not receive the ashes of their pet, according to the release. Authorities identified more than 6,500 victims from Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Read On The Fox News App "This case is disturbing, and will cause devastation and heartache for many Pennsylvanians," Sunday wrote in a statement. "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." New England Serial Killer Fears Merit 'Review And Investigation' After Remains Found Across 3 States: Expert Eternity Pet Memorial received the pets directly from consumers or through area veterinarians, according to the attorney general's office. A number of local animal hospitals, animal rescues and funeral homes took to social media after the announcement to share how they were affected. "To every family devastated by Eternity Pet Memorial – We wanted to let you know that we are navigating this disaster with you, as several of our rescue dogs had gone [t]here," Helping Hearts & Healing Tails Animal Rescue wrote in a Facebook post. The shelter went on to describe the alleged crime as "not just a mistake" but a betrayal of trust. "You are not alone," shelter officials wrote. "We see your pain. We share your anger. We honor your love. And together, we will fight for the truth. For dignity. For justice. … Love never ends. And neither will our demand for accountability." Unitedhealthcare Ceo Brian Thompson's 'Premeditated' Attack And Suspect's Getaway: Timeline Paul G. Fink Funeral Home Inc. and East Suburban Animal Hospital assured customers they were not affected. "We are already receiving many calls/texts asking if we used Eternity Pet Memorial for our cremation services following a recent news story," the animal hospital wrote in the post. "We want to assure you that we do not use their services and are so saddened to learn that someone could take advantage of pet owners in this way. Our hearts go out to all of those affected by this abhorrent act." The animal hospital noted it had a few clients who privately used Vereb's services. Considering that thousands of consumers have been harmed, the attorney general's office launched a website to engage with victims and help concerned residents find out if they were affected. Victims can provide their contact information, share victim impact statements and receive updates on the criminal article source: Pittsburgh funeral director charged with swindling pet owners, dumping pets' remains in landfill
Fox News
30-04-2025
- Fox News
Pittsburgh funeral director charged with swindling pet owners, dumping pets' remains in landfill
The owner of a Pittsburgh funeral home was arrested Monday after allegedly stealing more than $650,000 from customers who paid for pet burial and cremation services, throwing their animals in a landfill and giving them the ashes of other, unknown animals. Patrick Roy Vereb, owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial, is charged with multiple felony counts of theft by deception, receiving stolen property and deceptive business practices, according to a news release from Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday. Vereb, 70, surrendered Monday afternoon and was arraigned on the charges. He was released on his own recognizance. Nearly a dozen veterinary practices and businesses confirmed that Vereb collected at least $657,517 in fees from pet owners between 2021 and 2024 who were promised a private cremation for their pet, but they did not receive the ashes of their pet, according to the release. Authorities 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 wrote in a statement. "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." Eternity Pet Memorial received the pets directly from consumers or through area veterinarians, according to the attorney general's office. A number of local animal hospitals, animal rescues and funeral homes took to social media after the announcement to share how they were affected. "To every family devastated by Eternity Pet Memorial – We wanted to let you know that we are navigating this disaster with you, as several of our rescue dogs had gone [t]here," Helping Hearts & Healing Tails Animal Rescue wrote in a Facebook post. The shelter went on to describe the alleged crime as "not just a mistake" but a betrayal of trust. "You are not alone," shelter officials wrote. "We see your pain. We share your anger. We honor your love. And together, we will fight for the truth. For dignity. For justice. … Love never ends. And neither will our demand for accountability." Paul G. Fink Funeral Home Inc. and East Suburban Animal Hospital assured customers they were not affected. "We are already receiving many calls/texts asking if we used Eternity Pet Memorial for our cremation services following a recent news story," the animal hospital wrote in the post. "We want to assure you that we do not use their services and are so saddened to learn that someone could take advantage of pet owners in this way. Our hearts go out to all of those affected by this abhorrent act." The animal hospital noted it had a few clients who privately used Vereb's services. Considering that thousands of consumers have been harmed, the attorney general's office launched a website to engage with victims and help concerned residents find out if they were affected. Victims can provide their contact information, share victim impact statements and receive updates on the criminal case.
