LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Ask just about anyone who has a pet how they feel about their animals and they'll tell you their dog or cat is a member of the family. Now, think about how you'd feel if you learned the body of a family member had been dumped in the desert after you'd paid for a proper cremation.
That was the reality for several Las Vegas families and their beloved pets.
WATCH | Attorney General files fraud charges against Vegas pet cremation business owner
Now, more than two years after we first broke the story, the Nevada Attorney General's office is finally charging the cremation company owner with fraud.
Frustrated, heartbroken, and suspicious about how First Call Pet Cremation was doing business, several Las Vegas pet owners contacted Channel 13 in 2023, including Christina Palmer, whose cat Pumpkin passed away in May 2023.
Five months later, she still didn't have Pumpkin's ashes, paw prints, and a lock of the cat's hair — all of which she paid for from First Call.
NOVEMBER 2023: Pet owners' anguish: The troubling story of lost remains between Las Vegas and Utah
After repeatedly pressing owner Rick Senninger, he finally showed up at her home, armed with the few items and many excuses. The exchange was caught on Palmer's Ring doorbell camera.
"It's a combination of three things," Senninger said. "We have equipment that broke down. We have a freezer that broke down. Then we had issues, we had orders that were backed up, orders that were coming in so we tried to work as quickly as we could."
That's not necessarily the case, according to Sgt. Lucas Alfred of the Washington County Sheriff's Office in Utah. He told us pet remains from Senninger's business had crossed state lines.
"First Call Pet Cremation was transporting animals and delivering them to McKenzie Frei, where they contracted with her to complete the cremation and she was sending the remains back via a delivery person," Alfred previously told Channel 13.
However, some of those remains were never delivered. Instead, they were dumped in the Utah desert.
Sgt. Alfred said between October 2023 and February 2024, police found three separate dump sites containing the remains of approximately 42 animals. Pet microchips helped authorities identify owners and all of the animals have since been properly cremated.
APRIL 2024: Multiple dump sites found containing remains of Las Vegas pets
The Nevada Attorney General's Office investigated and finally filed a criminal complaint against Senninger, saying he took thousands of dollars from at least 11 victims, including Laura Pierson.
"These pets are our family," Pierson previously told us. "You know? We love them like we love our children and you disrespected that. I hate to say it but I hope you rot."
MAY 2024: Nevada Attorney General's Office now investigating pet cremation business owner
Senninger, who owns both First Call and Budget Pet Cremation, previously told Channel 13 he understands the community's reaction but blamed everything on his contractor.
"The public should, you know, has a right to be disappointed in me," Senninger said in a Zoom interview. "But the culprit, the one that's caused all of this, the reason there is still pets in the freezer, the reason not everybody got the answers, the reason not everybody got their pet back is because of McKenzie Frei."
Frei did bear some responsibility. Utah court records show she pleaded guilty to several counts of unlawfully disposing of a carcass. The plea deal got her a suspended jail sentence, a $700 fine, and 24 hours of community service.
JANUARY 2024: Charges filed against McKenzie Frei in connection to pet dumping scheme
As for Senninger, his preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 20 in Clark County Justice Court.
Is there something in your community you'd like Darcy to look into? Contact her at 13Investigates@ktnv.com.
