Baltimore pet crematorium offers free services to pet owners who were scammed

A Baltimore pet crematorium is offering free pet cremation services to people who claim to have been scammed by a Baltimore County pet crematorium.

Police are investigating Loving Care Pet Funeral & Cremation Services in Catonsville after customers said they were given sand or concrete rather than their pet's ashes.

Investigators found the bodies of 38 cats and dogs packed inside a hearse on the owner's property in Baltimore City. Seven additional pets were found dumped on the side of the road, according to police.

"I prayed that he was one of the 38, and he was he was number 25," said pet owner Joy Schoonover.

Zoey Robinson-Budreski, from Charm City Pet Crematory, told WJZ she's been working closely with the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) and animal control to cremate the recovered pets for families.

"I couldn't just stand by and not step in and help," said Robinson-Budreski. "It's really sad because he took the trust of a lot of people by misleading them."

Detectives said charges have not been filed in this case.  

Pet owner Nikki Pickens said she was scammed by Loving Care Pet Funeral. She says she hopes families will get justice.

"We're hoping that he will come forth and admit what has happened and tell us where we can go to find our babies," Pickens said. 

If anyone has additional information or has used Loving Care Pet Cremations, they should call the police at 410-887-0872.

If you are a victim in this case and are trying to track down your animal, find more information here.

Claims of pet cremation scams grow

Joy Schoonover found out two weeks ago that the ashes of her dead 17-year-old cat, Garfield, were instead something else after sending him to get cremated at Loving Care Pet Funeral.

"They were not ashes," Schoonover said, "It looked like sand, concrete with wires inside of it."

Schoonover is among a growing number of pet owners who used Loving Care Pet Funeral Services to cremate their beloved pet. However, rather than ashes, the pet owners reported receiving bags of sand and concrete. 

Nikki Pickens said her 13-year-old cat Norbie died in February, but she received a bag of sand from Loving Care Pet Funeral Services instead of ashes. She doesn't know where her cat was taken. 

"It's beach sand. It looks like there could be some Himalayan salt added and crushed up seashells," Pickens said.

Juanita Logan told WJZ that in October 2024, she called Loving Care Pet Funerals to cremate her 14-year-old cat, who had died. Logan said that within 24 hours, she received a box back with his picture and a cremation ID.

However, inside the box was a bag of sand instead of his ashes.

"This is like all I have, and I don't know where he is, and I'm just devastated," Logan said. "There are no words. The more I talk about it, it puts me back and back and back."

A vigil for the pets will be at 6 p.m. on May 10 at the Mount Carmel Crematory.