Wodonga Council will still collect registration fees and rangers will continue to patrol and return pets to owners or deliver them to the new pound in Albury.

Councillors at last week’s meeting awarded the Albury-based Canine Country Kennels the tender to run pound services.

Business services director Trevor Ierino said the existing concrete structure was not appropriate as a long-term shelter because the community expected a higher level of animal care.

He said the council had considered a tender application from Wodonga.

“The Albury option meant council could avoid more capital costs in the future,” Mr Ierino said.

Wodonga Dog Rescue president Peta McRae said the decision was “bloody ridiculous”.

The organisation to re-home pets was run separately, but volunteers also spent time caring for animals at the pound.

“I can’t understand how this is going to work … the whole thing is just stupid,” Ms McRae said.

“For the whole time, we’ve been here over four years, we’ve pretty much done everything.”

She said the closure meant community groups such as schools and people with disabilities would miss out on time with the animals.

WDR will meet on Thursday to discuss its future. Mr Ierino said the council gave WDR the first opportunity to run the entire pound, but it declined.

“We could have come to an agreement with them, but they didn’t want to so we didn’t really have a choice but to go out to open tender,” he said.

The move will save the council $15,000 per year and potentially up to $1 million to upgrade the pound.

Wodonga’s pound building would remain with the council in case of emergency.

Canine Country Kennels assistant manager Alicia Taylor said the business understood regulation differences between NSW and Victorian pounds and would be ready for July’s changeover.

“We know for sure that we have the capacity,” she said.