A former western Pennsylvania funeral home director accused of defrauding thousands of grieving pet owners is now scheduled to go before a jury this June, as lawmakers push new legislation aimed at protecting pets after death.
Patrick Vereb is accused of taking money from pet owners who believed their animals would receive dignified cremations. Instead, prosecutors say, many were given ashes that did not belong to their pets -- and that the remains of thousands of animals were improperly disposed of.
On Wednesday, nearly 120 alleged victims joined a virtual meeting organized by Humane Action Pennsylvania to discuss accountability and future safeguards.
"There really haven't been any meaningful animal welfare pieces of legislation that have made it through our legislature in quite some time," said Natalie Ahwesh, executive director of Humane Action Pennsylvania.
Ahwesh and the organization are backing new legislation introduced by State Sen. Nick Pisciottano (D), which aims to close legal loopholes prosecutors say Vereb exploited.
According to advocates, the lack of clear regulations and enforcement mechanisms made it difficult to hold bad actors accountable.
"One of the big problems with the Vereb situation from the Attorney General's perspective was that there was a gap in the law," Sen. Pisciottano explained. "There weren't a ton of things they could charge a bad actor with. This bill fills in the gaps on enforcement, penalties, accountability, and transparency to ensure this doesn't happen again."
The proposed legislation would require clearer documentation, stronger oversight, and a formal chain of custody for pet remains handled by cremation providers.
Under the proposal, consumers would receive detailed explanations of services upfront, including how their pet's remains will be handled and how they can verify the ashes they receive belong to their animal.
"On the front end, consumers would actually see a list of services," Sen. Pisciottano said. "They would be shown exactly what's going to happen with their pet and how to ensure the remains returned are truly theirs."
Prosecutors say a lack of paperwork and chain-of-custody requirements allowed Vereb to allegedly deceive more than 6,500 victims. Many of those pets, they allege, ended up in a landfill instead of being cremated or buried as promised.
Vereb's January court date was postponed. He is now expected to go to trial in June.
Meanwhile, the proposed legislation is currently sitting in committee, with one version in the Pennsylvania House and another in the Senate. Supporters say they are hopeful the bill will gain bipartisan backing and pass later this year.