Dog-loving families and householders who take in other owners' pets when they go on holiday face a new inspection and licensing regime.

In response to a new law Swindon Borough Council's licensing department has come up with a new policy for licensing those who take dogs in.

As well as the arranger, a central point of contact who contracts to find homes for a dog, the hosts will also have to be licenses by the council.

Each arranger and each host will have an inspection by licensing officers at the start of their licence, which could be for a period between one and three years.

They will also have another inspection for the renewal of their licence and an unannounced inspection at least once during the course of the licence, at the discretion of the licensing team.

The length of licence to be awarded to each host is dependent on the findings of the officers at the initial inspection.

Alex Giles, who runs an independent business organising boarding at home said: "It allows people to enjoy having a dog again. Swindon's regime has always been stringent, and I think the licensing team have done well with these new rules from DEFRA."

The final decision on adopting the new policy will be taken by full council in late January.