Ipswich's award-winning Dogs Squad canine creche is to open a new centre in Stowmarket next month after its success in Christchurch Park.

It is to open its second site at the Leading Lives centre on August 19 - giving pet owners somewhere to leave their pooches and also creating new training opportunities for people disabilities or special needs.

The expansion comes after the Dogs Squad was given a Quality Business Award to mark its success in Ipswich.

Director Lisa Correll set up the Dogs Squad on the site of the former bowling green in Christchurch Park in the summer of 2020 as the country was starting its long recovery from the Covid pandemic.

Since then it has gone from strength to strength, increasing its opening hours and building a new log cabin as its work expands.

Ms Correll said: "It has gone very well - we have a lot of dogs here five days a week and we also work with many people. It took a long time to get the cabin but now it is there and we are able to do much more."

Initially the Stowmarket centre will open two days a week - but the team hopes this will increase as demand rises.

Ms Correll said: "We were looking for somewhere to expand in the Stowmarket area and Leading Lives had spare space and we were delighted to take them up the offer.

"At the moment we haven't decided which two days it will be open - we'll see when people need it - but hopefully it will go on to be full time before too long."

As well as providing care for dogs while their owners are working or doing other things, Dogs Squad has helped many people with special needs to find new interests and meet more people - and pets - to give them a more fulfilling life.