Wodonga Council director of business services Trevor Ierino said all regulatory obligations required by Victorian law regarding animals would be adhered to by Canine Country Kennels in Lavington.

“(Wodonga) has outgrown the building, which is not suited to the long stays or the code standards required of an animal shelter,” he said.

“Its location, inside the waste transfer station site, restricts its use as a community facility as public access is limited after hours and some public holidays.”

But Wodonga would still have a pound service, run by CCK, at the Albury Council-run animal management facility.

Wodonga rangers would still carry out animal management in the city, including collecting and returning pets, dealing with dangerous dogs and investigating disputes.

Registration fees would continue to cover this and the costs associated with a pound service.

Wodonga Dog Rescue president Peta McRae, who spent Tuesday packing up, said she was unsure what to do next with her volunteers.

Mr Ierino said Wodonga Dog Rescue could attend to unclaimed animals as they did at Wodonga Pound.

He said members would have the opportunity to work alongside other rescue agencies presently working with the new operator.

“We encourage all parties to work together towards that outcome,” he said.

But Ms McRae thought the local government just wanted to get rid of the responsibility. 

“We’re not very happy with Wodonga Council, I just don’t understand why they’ve done it and they can’t give any explanation as to why they’ve done it,” she said.

“I just feel for the animals.

“Not putting a feather in my cap, but we did look after them pretty well.

“We gave them bones every couple of days, a variety of diet, made sure they had clean, dry bedding and jackets when it was cold.” Ms McRae was confident the Albury operator would provide this level of care but noted her work was carried out on a voluntary basis.