A Pittsburgh man has sparked devastation after he was trusted with cremating people’s beloved pets.
We all love our pets, and we open our hearts and homes to them for years.
From dogs to cats, bunnies and event rodents and birds - pets become part of our family for as long as they live.
But when the sad day comes when they pass away, giving their bodies to someone we can trust is a big deal.
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Particularly when it comes to cremations or burials.
But sadly, thousands of families were heartbroken to find out that the person they entrusted to keep their pets remains was a scam artist of the worst kind.
Patrick Roy Vereb is the accused owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial in the US, who has been allegedly throwing pets into landfill and even giving families ashes that are of unspecified remains.
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Over 6,500 grieving pet owners unknowingly became victims of Vereb, and all was revealed when his own employees began to get suspicious.
In July 2023, they began to realise that the business was accepting more animals than it was cremating.
“Pittsburgh ’s pet community is tight-knit,” said one local vet technician to Vocal Media. “When word spread about the discrepancy, people started asking questions.”
So, when investigators got on his case and interviewed him, Vereb actually went on to spill all.
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He shared that for years, he had been disposing of pets in landfills and even giving some owners ashes of other animals to ‘make them feel good for the day.’
“Honestly, it’s hard to wrap your head around,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday Jr. shared after his office conducted the investigation into the disgraced business owner.
He added: “Thousands of families paid for dignity, but Vereb chose greed over grace.”
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Vereb would go on to share that between 2021 and 2024 he would have people pay for private cremations, but they would instead be given the ashes of unknown animals.
For anyone who bought a ‘common grave’ burial, their pets were often thrown away.
He also stopped using cemeteries and opted for landfill sights instead.
Vereb now faces multiple counts of deceptive business practices and theft by deception with charges such as ‘failing to deliver promised cremation/burial services’, ‘charging customers for services never performed', and ‘illegally disposing of animals in landfills’ launched against him.
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In the wake of his lies, the community have been left reeling.
“This isn’t just a crime—it’s a violation of trust,” Dr Emily Carter, a local veterinarian told the outlet. “Pet owners deserve closure, not lies.”
Vereb is set to appear in court on the 9th of May, but did not serve any jail time prior to this when he appeared in court the first time in April and was let out on bail.
Because of the lack of state law mandates transparency in cremation processes of Pittsburgh ’s pet funeral industry, local lawmakers are pushing for changes.
“It’s time we treat pets with the same respect as humans,” said Councilwoman Lena Torres. “No more loopholes.”
Tyla reached out to Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial for comment.
Britt Jones