THE founder of a Bendigo-based pet crematorium company accused of dumping animals in bushland says he fears for his life and the safety of his family.Pets at Peace Victoria founder Geoff Mitchell yesterday said he had dealt with continuous death threats and insults, and had seen his North Bendigo business smashed and vandalised since Today Tonight accused the company of dumping pets instead of cremating them on a program aired on Thursday night.But Mr Mitchell, who runs the business with his partner, Lily, yesterday said the allegations were untrue.“The story was full of inaccuracies and mistruths,’’ Mr Mitchell said.“It did not allow us at any stage to explain to the public the real situation that had occurred.’’Mr Mitchell, whose cremation business also deals with disposals, admitted that dead animals found in plastic bags had accidentally fallen out from the company’s unsecured vans on two separate occasions.He said the first incident happened on the Midland Highway near Daylesford, while the other was in Rushworth, and that the incidents occurred within weeks of each other, around the end of June.He said Lily was transporting euthanased pets from local vets on both occasions, but denied the company was involved in other “dumping’’ incidents.On Thursday night, Today Tonight claimed Rushworth had been the location of two separate instances of dumped bags, while The Advertiser spoke with a Mt Franklin resident last month who believed that Daylesford had also been the site of two reported dumped bags.Mr Mitchell said the animals that had fallen out of the back of the vans had not been collected for cremation, but instead for disposal.“If we’re (dumping) pets then we’re defeating the purpose of cremating because we have nothing to send back to the owner,’’ he said.“If we had of put dirt or sand in the urn, we would be found out very quickly.“Fortunately we haven’t lost any pets for cremation because that would be disastrous.”But it doesn’t diminish the error that we’ve made.’’Both incidences had been investigated by police and Pets at Peace has been cleared of any wrongdoing.“We’re not stupid . . . why would we pull over and dump pets in full view of the public on the side of the road that could be microchipped?’’ Mr Mitchell said.Pets at Peace has written letters of apology to the owners of the pets involved in the accidents that were microchipped, but the company has been unable to contact other pet owners whose pets were for disposal and were not labelled.Mr Mitchell also denied an allegation that in the Rushworth incident, the plastic bags were found 30 metres away from the roadside.He said it was highly unlikely his wife would drag the dead animals into bushland.Now living in fear, Mr Mitchell said the company’s Melbourne-based franchisees had immediately suspended their operations as a result of the television segment.“And without our franchisees, we have no business,’’ he said.“We’ve had some support from vets, but it’s not enough to sustain our business; our operational costs are so high and we need the income from our franchisees.’’Mr Mitchell said the television report had put him out of business, and would have a detrimental effect on other pet cremation businesses in the country.“They won’t be sitting back rubbing their hands in glee that we’ve been caught, they’d be very upset in the fact that the industry has been tarnished,’’ he said.Mr Mitchell said he and his family came to Bendigo with good intentions, but felt they were now left with no choice but to leave the town.“We are scared . . . and I see no reason to continue on,’’ he said.The Environmental Protection Authority’s investigation into the illegal dumping of animals is continuing.