Tina Moore of Greensburg paid to have her cats — Pickle, Daisy and LaLa — cremated. She learned this week they may have been thrown into a landfill instead.
“I’ve spent the past three days so angry and bitter,” Moore said.
“I need to concentrate my energy on positivity rather than center it around this monster who has caused so much pain.”
Patrick Vereb, 70, of Hazelwood, was charged Monday by the state Attorney General’s Office for taking money for cremations and disposing of the animals in landfills. He also is accused of giving customers ashes that weren’t from their pets, according to authorities.
Moore is among some 6,500 people who entrusted Vereb, owner of Pittsburgh and Harrison funeral homes, with their pets’ aftercare.
She is launching an initiative to unite victims who are reeling from heartbreak.
“What if on a given day everyone who is a victim puts out a luminary or a candle in their window along with a photo of their pet(s)?” she said. “It’s simple, without needing funding or property to hold an event or a specific time.”
The grassroots effort will be called “Lost but Forever Loved — Victims of Patrick Vereb.”
The date is May 9, the same day Vereb had been scheduled for a preliminary hearing before waiving it to court on Thursday. His formal arraignment is scheduled for 2 p.m. June 18 at the Allegheny County Courthouse.
He faces felony charges of theft by deception, receiving stolen property and deceptive business practices.
“I am committed to finding a public way to honor our pets,” Moore said. “The power of positive thoughts can grow into something larger.”
If social media is any indication, the idea will catch on quickly.
A Facebook group call “The Victims of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial” was created Tuesday and has attracted more than 1,900 members.
Co-creator Tricia Cole-Gumpher of West Mifflin said it seemed natural to give people a common outlet to grieve.
“We all might have a part of each other’s pet’s ashes,” she said. “It’s a place to say, ‘If I have your baby, she’s safe with me.’”
Cole-Gumpher said her family was distraught this week after learning about Vereb’s actions. Her mom’s three rescue dogs — Hope, Sugar and Bobby — all died within the past eight months. The family paid Vereb to cremate the Dachshund and two Yorkies.
“We’re sick about it, wondering if they’re in a landfill,” Cole-Gumpher said.
According to Pew Research Center, nearly all of U.S. pet owners — 97% — say their animals are part of their family. About half say they consider their pets as much a part of their family as a human member.
Becky Morrow, medical director of Frankie’s Friends in New Kensington, said the alleged crimes by Vereb are “absolutely heartbreaking.”
“It’s hard to fathom someone with this behavior,” said Morrow, founder of the nonprofit veterinary clinic and medical rescue for cats. She is also an assistant teaching professor at Penn State.
“It’s really hard to help others through this because all we can do is empathize. We all feel the same way and we are grieving with everyone.”
The Attorney General’s Office created a website to help people determine if they are victims of Vereb. It can be found at attorneygeneral.gov/epm.
Authorities said the number of potential victims is vast because they include walk-in and direct-pay clients of Eternity Pet Memorials, as well as pet owners from 20 regional veterinarians/businesses from 2021 to 2024.
Since its launch on Monday, the website has received more than 5,700 submissions.
Vereb is already charged with theft of about $660,000 from customers who paid for pet cremations, burials, returns of ashes and other services in that time period.
Morrow said her clinic stopped using Vereb’s services about four years ago, not because of any indication of fraud but for other reasons.
Authorities visited Frankie’s Friends in January to interview Morrow and the staff.
“We provided as much evidence as we could,” she said. “We can’t make anyone feel better but we will stand up for what is right. It’s such a breach of trust.”
Despite the anger and outrage, Moore wants the victims to unite in healing.
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“There is no positivity in this issue,” she said. “But there is positivity to be found in honoring our pets.”