Thousands of pet parents waiting for trial after allegations against Pittsburgh funeral director

More than a year after a whistleblower came forward with allegations involving thousands of dead pets, grieving pet owners are still waiting for the criminal case against a Pittsburgh funeral director to go to trial. But the Pennsylvania attorney general says that will change soon. 

In 2025, whistleblower Tiffany Mantzouridis brought "disturbing" allegations against her former employer, Patrick Vereb, the owner of Eternity Pet Memorial in Pittsburgh's Hazelwood neighborhood. 

Thousands of pet owners victimized

Mantzouridis provided KDKA with pictures she said were taken inside the funeral home, which was owned by Vereb at the time. The pictures showed black trash bags piled on top of chest freezers.

"They would be sitting on top of the freezers in the garage, and we would pick them up, and there would be flies on them, and there would be blood everywhere and puddles," Mantzouridis previously told KDKA.

According to court documents, Vereb is accused of defrauding 6,500 pet owners over several years. The allegations center on claims that pet owners paid to have their animals given dignified burials and cremations, but that their pets' bodies were instead dumped and that some owners were given ashes that were not from their pets.

Now many of the thousands of pet owners identified in court documents as victims are frustrated as the case has not yet gone to trial. The attorney general's office, which brought criminal charges against Vereb in April 2025, says that is expected to change soon.

Jury selection slated for October 

During a recent visit to Pittsburgh to discuss a guns and drugs initiative, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday spoke exclusively with KDKA investigator Meghan Schiller about the case.

"We investigated from the very beginning," Sunday said when asked what he wants people who have been closely following the case to know. "We've been fighting for victims throughout the entirety of this, and as of right now, we have jury selection scheduled to start on Oct. 15, and Oct. 19, the jury trial is supposed to begin."

The scheduled jury selection and trial dates would mark a significant step forward for the case. But some pet owners say they have lost faith that the justice system will ultimately hold anyone accountable. Schiller asked Sunday what he would say to those people.

"The justice system is our system in America," Sunday said. "We have one of the greatest, if not the greatest, justice systems in the world. We live in a country where an investigation can happen, individuals are charged with crimes and they're held accountable."

Sunday also acknowledged that criminal cases can take time.

"So that being said, what I will say is this: our justice system is not perfect," Sunday said. "At times it's not fast, some people may think it's slow, but it also protects the defendant, and it protects everyone involved to make sure that the outcome is fair and just and lawful." 

For the thousands of pet owners impacted by the allegations, the upcoming court dates could finally provide answers about what happened to their pets and whether anyone will be held criminally responsible.