Animal rescue to hold special pet memorial service in honor of victims of Pittsburgh cremation case
One of funeral director Patrick Vereb's thousands of alleged victims runs a dog rescue in Westmoreland County.
Through all the heartbreak Patti Levay is feeling, she doesn't want other victims to suffer alone. Now, she's organizing a special pet memorial service this weekend to give people the opportunity to honor their beloved pets the right way and grieve again together.
Levay runs Guardian Angels Pug Rescue in Derry Township and has rescued over 1,000 pugs, pug mixes, and other small canines.
She trusted Vereb since 2015 to cremate more than two dozen of the pups she owned or rescued who died.
"When I first heard it, it felt like somebody ripped my chest apart. And reached in there, grabbed my heart and just threw it on the road and tramped on it," Levay said.
Vereb is accused of dumping thousands of pets' bodies in a landfill and giving owners the ashes of other animals between 2021 and 2024.
Levay showed KDKA-TV's Jessica Guay pictures of the dogs she gave to Vereb for cremation services during that timeframe.
"Harvey was the first dog in 2021, and Eloise was the last one in 2024. And in between that time, including these two beloved pets, there was a total of 11 in those four short years that I entrusted to Patrick and his team that came across as very caring. I mean, they even hugged me. They promised us that they would bring them back safely, only to find out later that my guys are all in a landfill. And it shattered me. It shattered me. For three days, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat," Levay said.
To help others with their grief, Levay is organizing a pet memorial event at Kingston Veterans & Sportsmans Club's picnic grounds from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
"It's open to the public. Whether you were affected by Patrick Vereb and the Eternity Pet (Memorial) mess that he created. Or you just lost a pet and need some help in healing," she said. "I have asked Father Justin Matro from Crabtree, Pa. He runs St. Bartholomew's Catholic church. He's going to come out and do a pet blessing for all the deceased pets. And then he'll do a pet blessing for any of the pets that may be in attendance. And then we're going to do a bubble release."
She says they'll blow bubbles to heaven for their fur babies who are still dearly missed. The bubbles were donated by the students in Pierpont Community and Technical College's vet tech program.
Levay said the owner of Shoemaker Funeral Home will also be there to talk to pet owners who aren't sure who to trust anymore.
"He's going to give a little talk on what's involved in pet cremation and what should happen when your pets are cremated. And then we will open the floor to a question and answer period," she said.
People are encouraged to bring photos and keepsakes to feel connected to their late pets and share memories with others feeling the same pain right now.
"Let's talk about our pets. Let's do a little bit of help for each other," Levay said.
Levay hopes that coming together and honoring their pets will provide closure.
"I wanted to provide them with a little bit of peace, knowing, first of all, they are not alone in this. That their pets are never going to be forgotten. And I just hope that it helps to heal some of the heartache that we feel. Not just from the first time we lost our pets, but it feels like we've lost them all over again," she said.
Everyone is welcome to attend the pet memorial service. Pets are welcome, too. They must be well-behaved and on a leash.
You can visit the to let Guardian Angels Pug Rescue know if you're attending the pet blessings.
