Bill regulating Pennsylvania's pet cremation industry passes state House
The state House unanimously approved a bill to regulate Pennsylvania's pet cremation industry on Monday.
The move came after allegations that a Pittsburgh funeral director defrauded thousands of grieving families and threw their pets into landfills. House Bill 1750, "Holding Funeral Homes Accountable for Pet Cremations," would require disclosure of cremation services for deceased animals, strengthen recordkeeping regulations, and impose enforcement and penalties for funeral homes that fail to follow the law.
In a statement following the bill's passage, state Rep. Brandon Makorsek (D-Allegheny) said, "Grieving families should not have to wonder if the cremation provider they trusted handled their pet's remains with care and dignity. This legislation is about protecting families during a vulnerable time and making sure the goodbye they paid for is the one they actually received."
A similar bill, Senate Bill 950, is still in committee in the state Senate.
Last year, KDKA-TV investigators uncovered allegations that funeral director Patrick Vereb, of Vereb Funeral Home in Hazelwood, deceived thousands of grieving families who paid for dignified funerals for their deceased pets. State investigators say he promised to cremate their pets, but instead threw their bodies into landfills and returned the ashes of other animals to their unsuspecting owners.
Tiffany Mantzouridis, who blew the whistle to KDKA-TV about what she witnessed as an intern at Vereb Funeral Home, spoke at a press conference after Monday's vote in Harrisburg.
"I came forward to expose this situation, not only because of the things that I had witnessed, but because I feel that Pennsylvania must urgently raise the standards of transparency, accountability and dignity when it comes to the handling of deceased pets," Mantzouridis said.
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General says it has identified more than 6,500 victims from Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.
There is currently a class action lawsuit pending against Vereb on behalf of alleged victims.
