The director of the Pittsburgh Funeral Pavilion faces charges after prosecutors say he threw away the bodies of thousands of pets and gave the ashes of other animals to his owners.
Patrick Vereb, seventy-year-old owner of the Vereb Eral Funeral Pavilion and Eternity Pet Memorial, has been accused of stealing more than 6,500 customers from 2021 to 2024, who announced from more than 6,500 customers that they paid for pet burial and cremation services between 2021 and 2024, announced Monday in Pennsylvania.
Through about 20 veterinary practices and businesses, Vereb collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from pet owners who were promised private cremation for pets, prosecutors said. But investigators said Vereb threw many pets into landfills, providing customers with ashes of other unknown animals.
Tiffany Mantzouridis tells KDKA-TV When she was intern at Vereb Funeral Home, there were several red flags. She said the pet's body was placed in a garbage bag on the top of the freezer and the record was saved differently.
“He would retrieve the ashes from the crematorium and bring the plastic bag with the metal card back to a large bag and then stick the metal on it.
A woman whose cat was cremated in Vereb's business said she had a bag of Ziploc's ashes but had no cremation tag, making her wonder whose body she actually owned. She called the allegations “disturbing”, a sentiment that Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave responded Sunday.
"This case is disturbing and will cause damage and heartache for many Pennsylvanians," said Sunday in a press release. "Our pet is a member of our family, and the defendant has betrayed the painful pet owner who has entrusted him to provide dignified services to their beloved cats and dogs. I commend our investigative team for conducting a comprehensive review of the vast number of records that reveal this pattern of long-term theft and deception."
The state has launched a website that encourages potential victims to use. In addition to veterinarians, Vereb has also found victims through walk-in and direct paying customers at the Eternal Pet Memorial, prosecutors said. The Attorney General's Office said it has identified victims in Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington and Westmoreland counties.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office requires potential victims from 2021 to 2024 to fill out forms online.
According to the office's website, the following vets and businesses were impacted: Affordable Care, All About Pets, Always Compassionate, Imperial Animal Hospital, Kapr Funeral Home, Kiski Valley Animal Clinic, K-Vet, Loyalhanna Animal Hospital, Meadowlands, Plum Animal Hospital, River Valley, Dr. Mary Ann Bender, Pet Haven Pet Cemetery, Frankie's Friends, Sable Kennels, Little Creek Farm, Golden Mile Animal Clinic, Greene Gate Animal Clinic, Salem Animal Hospital and Monongahela Animal Hospital.
Vereb faces felony burglary charges of deception and accepts stolen property and deceptive business practices. He surrendered Monday afternoon and was charged with his approval before being released.