Two of the thousands of pet owners allegedly defrauded by a local funeral director have filed a class action lawsuit in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.
They’re seeking financial damages from Patrick Vereb, who ran funeral homes in Pittsburgh and Harrison until being hit with multiple felony charges earlier this week, as well as Eternity Pet Memorial, Vereb Funeral Home and John D. O’Connor & Son Funeral Home.
The state Attorney General’s Office has accused Vereb of stealing almost $660,000 from customers who paid for pet cremations, burials, return of ashes and other services between 2021 and 2024.
He profited by disposing of the animal remains in landfills and giving customers ashes that weren’t from their pets, according to authorities.
The accusations are backed by more than 100 photos of unrefrigerated pets, tossed tags and handwritten notes from Vereb that were assembled by Tiffany Mantzouridis, a former intern at Vereb Funeral Home. She claims official crematory records showed no pets were cremated that weighed 30 pounds and under.
At least 6,500 victims have been identified, with more likely rolling in every day through a webpage created by the Attorney General’s Office where people can determine whether they may have been victimized by Vereb. More than 20 veterinary services that worked with Vereb are listed in a drop-down box.
“We are not naive,” said Robert Peirce, an attorney for the alleged victims. “We are going to attempt to make all these victims whole. But the reality is we’re dealing with a criminal element who has taken advantage of hundreds and thousands of people in Western Pennsylvania.”
Law firms Robert Peirce & Associates and Lynch Carpenter held a news conference Friday to announce the filing.
Next to them sat plaintiffs Aimee Cain of Monongahela and Chris Brownfield of McKeesport. The two seldom spoke, letting photos and mementos of their deceased pets do most of the talking.
Cain paid to have two dogs cremated by Vereb. Brownfield did the same for 11 of her animals, who she said were like children. The supposed remains of Brownfield’s pets were placed in ziplock bags and tucked inside photo urns.
“He got all of them,” Brownfield said, fighting back tears.
As of about 3:30 p.m. Friday, Vereb had not been served the lawsuit.
Louis Emmi, the attorney representing Vereb in the criminal case, did not immediately return a request for comment.
Peirce said one aim of the lawsuit is to find out what happened to the pet remains that entered Vereb’s care.
“We’re not going to know for 100% of the people,” he said. “But if we find it for some, it’s better than nothing.”
A lawsuit is just one way pet owners have expressed their shock and heartache.
A Facebook group call “The Victims of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial” was created Tuesday and has attracted more than 2,300 members. The group is organizing ways to heal and fight back, with talk of candlelight vigils and petitions pushing for tighter funerary laws.
A few members had mulled protesting May 9, when Vereb was to appear before a district judge for his preliminary hearing, but he waived the charges to court.
His next scheduled court appearance is now his formal arraignment, set for June 18 at the Allegheny County Courthouse in Pittsburgh.
The Attorney General’s Office is urging anyone who protests to do so peacefully.
“Acts that constitute harassment, threats or violence will be investigated by law enforcement,” the office said in a statement Friday. “To be upset or angered by the alleged conduct in this case is justified — any act of violence is not.”