Pet Crematorium Approved By Zoning Board

The state’s fourth pet crematorium will be located in Wall Township after an application to build a new one on Old Bridge Road was approved by the Board of Adjustment Wednesday.

The application was brought by Orender Family Home For Funerals, 2643 Old Bridge Road. It proposes to install a crematorium for domestic, household pets, on the property of its existing facility. It was approved by unanimous vote of the board following a short hearing Wednesday.

The facility would be run out of a portion of a garage at the funeral home, and be a separate, adjunct business from Orender’s funeral business, according to testimony from Kevin Orender, owner of the funeral home.

Orender said some of the motivation behind the application was to help area residents whose pets have died because they have no nearby alternative. The nearest pet crematorium is more than an hour away, Orender said.

“My job is to console or assist a family as much as possible through their grieving,’’ Orender said.

Testifying on behalf of Orender was Steve Talley, representing Matthews Cremation, the Florida-based company that produces the cremation equipment. Talley said that the equipment is designed in such a way that there would be no visible smoke coming from the equipment, nor would there be any odor. Talley said there would be little to no evidence that  the equipment was even being used.

The crematorium would be used only during the normal operating hours of the funeral home, Orender said. About 95 percent of the referrals would come from area veterinary hospitals and clinics. There would be no additional outside signs placed on the property announcing the new service, Orender said.

The crematorium is a needed service, according to Catherine Wolfe, of Wall.

Wolfe, an Ivy Road resident who spoke in favor of the application, said the crematorium would save pet owners time, energy and the additional grief of having to wait up to two weeks for the remains of their pet after its death.

“It means a lot to a pet owner to get that closure,’’ Wolfe said. “I just think this would be really beneficial.”

Board  members agreed.

“We all know Mr. Orender and I personally know what kind of operation he runs out there and if he tells us  and proffers through his attorney that we won’t even know it exists up there, I will totally believe it and I vote ‘yes,’’’ Chairwoman Mary DeSarno said.