A pet mortuary owner has been charged with defrauding thousands of grieving pet owners by dumping their deceased animals in landfills instead of providing proper cremations.
Patrick Vereb, 70, who runs Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, allegedly gave clients the ashes of unknown animals while claiming they belonged to their pets.
Authorities have charged Vereb with theft by deception, receiving stolen property and deceptive business practices.
The funeral director had promised clients that their furry friends would receive proper cremations and burials before returning their ashes.
The owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial (pictured) allegedly gave clients the ashes of unknown animals while claiming they belonged to their pets
Instead, he disposed of the animals in rubbish bins and deceived the grieving owners.
Vereb is said to have defrauded 6,500 customers as much as £490,000.
His deception took place between 2021 and 2024, and has affected thousands of pet owners who had paid for dignified services.
Customers who opted to have their animals buried in a "common grave" with other pets were also deceived - instead, Vereb threw the animals in the bin.
Pennsylvania's Attorney General Dave Sunday said his clients had spent a "significant amount of money" on his fraudulent services.
The pet owners believed they were receiving the remains of their own beloved animals.
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Vereb had promised clients that their furry friends would receive proper cremations and burials before returning their ashes (file photo)
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"From 2021 and 2024, Vereb neglected his duty of care by deliberately and repeatedly betraying his customers who wanted a dignified service for their beloved dog or cat," Sunday said.
"Vereb admitted that if he didn't have the ashes for a pet, he gave the owners ashes from another animal to 'make them feel good for the day, if nothing else,'" legal filings revealed.
He also "admitted he lied to the pet owners and told them their pets were buried with other animals".
Suspicions about Vereb's activities had first emerged when his employees began to notice irregularities in late July, according to NBC News.
One worker observed that the business appeared to be taking in "far more numbers of animals than what he was cremating".
Vereb dumped dead pets in landfills instead of providing proper cremations (file photo)
PA
This discrepancy prompted further investigation by authorities.
And when confronted, Vereb eventually admitted to deceiving his customers about the fate of their pets.
The 70-year-old is currently free until his next scheduled court appearance.
He is due to appear in court on Friday, May 9, to face the multiple charges related to his years-long deception.
