Patrick Vereb, the owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial, faces felony charges for deceiving over 6,500 pet owners between 2021 and 2024. Prosecutors allege he took payments for private cremation services while disposing of many pets' bodies in a landfill and providing customers with unknown ashes instead. The Pennsylvania Attorney General highlighted the emotional toll this betrayal has on pet owners, who view their animals as family. Vereb has been charged with theft by deception, and a preliminary hearing is set for May 9, though he has been released without bail.
"This case is disturbing, and will cause devastation and heartache for many Pennsylvanians," said Pennsylvania Attorney General David W. Sunday Jr.
"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."
Vereb allegedly took in a total of at least $657,500 from customers who had paid for burial and cremation services for their pets between 2021 and 2024.
Vereb could not be reached for comment early Tuesday and the attorney general's office did not respond to a request for additional comment.
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