A bipartisan movement in Harrisburg aims to hold funeral home directors accountable after a Pittsburgh funeral director was charged for allegedly mishandling pet remains. “We realized there was a gap in the law and there was really no state law regulating this funeral activity for the cremation of pets,” said Pennsylvania state Sen. Nick Pisciottano (D), who represents District 45. In April, the state attorney general announced charges against Patrick Vereb, the owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial. Vereb is accused of disposing of pets in landfills and also giving owners the ashes of unknown animals. Thousands of pet owners who used Vereb’s services, like Carrie White, were left heartbroken. “Now I don’t even know whose ashes or if these are ashes at all that are in this box,” White said while holding up a box supposed to be containing her late dog Killian’s ashes. Pisciottano is working with Republican PA state Sens. Rosemary Brown and Camera Bartolotta to draft legislation that would establish an offense related to misrepresenting the disposal of animal remains. He said a minor charge for services not rendered is about as far as penalties go. “We want to find a way to craft a framework where folks who are doing this service, providing cremation of pets to the public, are also held accountable if they’re not fulfilling their end of the bargain,” Pisciottano said. “So, that would be penalties, that would be potentially revocation of their licenses. Things like that.”Tiffany Mantzouridis worked at Vereb Funeral Home as a funeral intern from February to August 2024. She explained her former boss would show compassion for pet owners to their face. “And then as soon as they walk out the door, it’s kind of like throw them in a bag, toss them on an old embalming table, or on top of an old cooler, no refrigeration for them. The refrigeration was there, but it wasn’t used,” Mantzouridis told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4. Mantzouridis, who now works for a different funeral home, agreed there needs to be changes in the law to hold funeral directors accountable. “If there were laws in place before this, I feel like this definitely would not have happened,” the former Vereb Funeral Home intern said. In the meantime, pet owners are hoping to see justice for their four-legged loved ones. “I don’t have children, but my love, you know, it’s just as deep, and they need to make sure that he answers for this,” White said. Vereb is facing several charges, including theft by deception, receiving stolen property, and deceptive business practices.According to Pisciottano, the next step is to introduce both the Senate and House versions of the legislation in the next few weeks.
A bipartisan movement in Harrisburg aims to hold funeral home directors accountable after a Pittsburgh funeral director was charged for allegedly mishandling pet remains.
“We realized there was a gap in the law and there was really no state law regulating this funeral activity for the cremation of pets,” said Pennsylvania state Sen. Nick Pisciottano (D), who represents District 45.
In April, the state attorney general announced charges against Patrick Vereb, the owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial. Vereb is accused of disposing of pets in landfills and also giving owners the ashes of unknown animals.
Thousands of pet owners who used Vereb’s services, like Carrie White, were left heartbroken.
“Now I don’t even know whose ashes or if these are ashes at all that are in this box,” White said while holding up a box supposed to be containing her late dog Killian’s ashes.
Pisciottano is working with Republican PA state Sens. Rosemary Brown and Camera Bartolotta to draft legislation that would establish an offense related to misrepresenting the disposal of animal remains.
He said a minor charge for services not rendered is about as far as penalties go.
“We want to find a way to craft a framework where folks who are doing this service, providing cremation of pets to the public, are also held accountable if they’re not fulfilling their end of the bargain,” Pisciottano said. “So, that would be penalties, that would be potentially revocation of their licenses. Things like that.”
Tiffany Mantzouridis worked at Vereb Funeral Home as a funeral intern from February to August 2024. She explained her former boss would show compassion for pet owners to their face.
“And then as soon as they walk out the door, it’s kind of like throw them in a bag, toss them on an old embalming table, or on top of an old cooler, no refrigeration for them. The refrigeration was there, but it wasn’t used,” Mantzouridis told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4.
Mantzouridis, who now works for a different funeral home, agreed there needs to be changes in the law to hold funeral directors accountable.
“If there were laws in place before this, I feel like this definitely would not have happened,” the former Vereb Funeral Home intern said.
In the meantime, pet owners are hoping to see justice for their four-legged loved ones.
“I don’t have children, but my love, you know, it’s just as deep, and they need to make sure that he answers for this,” White said.
Vereb is facing several charges, including theft by deception, receiving stolen property, and deceptive business practices.
According to Pisciottano, the next step is to introduce both the Senate and House versions of the legislation in the next few weeks.
