Pet owners await remains from now-closed Las Vegas business
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The owner of a now-closed pet cremation business where animals destined for cremation were dumped more than 100 miles away appears to be apologizing to customers whose orders were arriving months later.
Last fall, 8 News Now investigators spoke with several people who had paid 1st Call Pet Cremation to dispose of their dog bodies and said they couldn’t believe the bodies they were given belonged to their beloved animals.
In May, 8 News Now investigators reported that the Nevada Attorney General’s office was apparently investigating the now-closed operation after dozens of abandoned animals were found more than 100 miles away in rural Utah.
First Call Pet Cremation contracted with a Utah-based cremation company that disposed of dozens of animals without cremating them, according to Sergeant Lucas Alfred of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The woman who ran the company was charged with three misdemeanor counts in Washington County Court and faces fines of about $1,000, records show.
The sheriff’s office picked up the abandoned animals and had them cremated by another Utah-based pet cremation company. Deputies were able to identify some of the microchip numbers but not the names.
Landon Hines hired First Call Pet Cremation to cremate his beloved dog Jem and cat Darla, who died within a few weeks of each other in August and September of last year.
“I tried calling back, but I just kept getting messages,” Hines said in May, more than six months after paying First Call Pet Cremation about $800 for its services.
After the 8 News Now investigators’ story aired in May, Hines said she received a box containing Jem’s order form. It also contained a lock of hair, a footprint, a certificate and an urn containing his remains. It’s unclear if the remains are actually Jem’s, as the time of his death matches the remains found in Utah.
Hines said she recently received a second package containing Darla’s footprints and bits of fur, but no Darla’s ashes. The package did contain a note.
“First Call management had no knowledge of the practices regarding the abandoned pets,” the letter states. “We were confident that the remains received and properly identified by the crematorium operator were the correct remains of each family’s pet. We were never aware of or complicit in their deceptive practices.”
The business owner did not respond to repeated requests for comment and 8 News Now cannot verify the authenticity of the letter, which states the company “can guarantee” the items sent are correct.
“We are sincerely sorry for the pain this has caused the family,” the letter read. “Words cannot express our sense of loss for each family whose lives have been adversely affected by this horrific incident. While the memorial you receive now may not be the exact same item you ordered when you contacted First Call Pet Cremation, we hope that providing the items we are able to provide will help you find some closure.”
The Nevada Attorney General’s Office has not confirmed or denied an investigation but is urging anyone who believes they may be a victim of 1st Call Pet Cremation to contact them at 702-486-3799, which will connect them directly to investigators.
Researcher David Charns can be reached at dcharns@8newsnow.com.
