State Sen. Nick Pisciottano said the state’s framework for pet cremation oversight is “a little like the Wild West.”
The legislator, whose district includes Plum, Monroeville and parts of the Mon Valley, proposed Senate Bill 950 to strengthen consumer protection and criminalize the mistreatment of pets after their deaths.
“Pets become part of your family,” Pisciottano said during a webinar Wednesday with advocacy group Humane Action Pennsylvania. “You want to make sure their remains are handled with respect.”
The bill is part of the reaction to charges against Patrick Vereb, 71, who owned funeral and pet cremation services in Harrison and Hazelwood. He is awaiting trial in Allegheny County on charges that he duped more than 6,500 people who paid for pet cremations between 2021 and 2024 by disposing of the animals in landfills, according to the state Attorney General’s Office. In many cases, the wrong ashes, or those commingled with other animal remains, were returned to the owners, authorities said.
A separate but identical bill is moving through the state House, sponsored by state Rep. Brandon Markosek, whose district includes Pittsburgh’s East suburbs.
“We discovered there are gaps in Pennsylvania oversight, and we want to make sure the Vereb situation never happens again,” Pisciottano said. “We’re hoping the bill advances on at least one side of the chamber.”
Vereb faces felony charges of theft by deception, receiving stolen property and deceptive business practices.
The new bill would create a specific offense related to misrepresenting animal disposal. It would also include additional penalties on funeral directors and their licenses for violating the act.
With pet cremation as a relatively new sub-industry, state laws didn’t advance at the same rate as services, officials on the webinar said.
The legislation would go a long way to restore public confidence in the funeral home industry and help ensure that pets’ remains are treated with respect, according to Natalie Ahwesh, Humane Action executive director.
In the Senate, the bill has bipartisan support with co-sponsors including Democrat Wayne Fontana, Lindsey Williams and Jay Costa and Republican Devlin Robinson.
If approved, the law would beef up recordkeeping and ensure pet owners get a description of pet aftercare, disclosure of who will perform the cremation and a certificate to verify when and how the cremation was done.
“It makes sure there’s a paper trail,” Pisciottano said.
It also would outline basic care standards for refrigeration and record retention.
The law also would bolster enforcement for violations. Violators would be subject to penalties under the state’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.
Members of the public can help the bill advance by reaching out to local legislators and expressing support. Pisciottano suggested people share mentions of the new bill on social media to attract attention.
“Speaking out can really help push it up the priority list,” he said.