HOLIDAYMAKERS who pine for their pets will soon be able to zoom in on their furry friends big brother-style.

A new £100,000 animal hotel in Great Harwood will install webcams in every kennel so people can log on, wherever they are in the world, and take a peek at their pets.

The Animal Lodge, formerly Mareith kennels for more than 30 years, also promises to provide all the creature comforts of home and cater for any special needs.

Tracey Sutcliffe, 30, and Rodney Capstick, 40, who ran the Pet Hotel in Hapton for five years, are hoping to have the new site open by August, in time for winter getaways. The couple to the lodge, off Whalley Road, in September last year -- along with their own menagerie of three horses, three dogs, five rabbits, 20 chickens and a cat.

Tracey said: "We could do with the kennels just for our own pets and know how important it is for owners going on holiday that their pets are in the best possible care.

"We have had lots of telephone calls in the past, asking how the cats and dogs were, so we decided the webcams would help put people's minds at rest. This is quite a new concept. We hope to be the first in East Lancashire to have this in operation. But we also hope it takes off elsewhere."

The facility will provide 20 kennels for cats and dogs and Tracey plans to keep it small, so the pets all get individual attention.

She said: "We want it to be homely so that we can get to know the animals individually. You can't do that when you have a big kennels.

"Obviously we have to be careful and only reuse things that can be sterilised, but families are more than welcome to bring in whatever personal items they want to leave with their pets and then they can log on to watch them playing with their favourite toys.

"Touches like this are important as they help to reassure owners that their pet is okay -- which means they can then get on with the equally important task of enjoying their holiday."

Animal Lodge will also offer a collection and delivery service for pets to avoid tearful goodbyes at the kennels and meetings will be held to discuss any special requirements relating to the pets diet or medication.

The demolition of the old timber kennels was due to start today and work on the new building will be carried out during the summer. The site, and the website, which will be launched in August. Details of the webcams will be included in brochures for the Animal Lodge, which will be available next week.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "With new and improved technology people are starting to look into things such as this but I am not aware of anywhere that it is being used yet.

"This can only be a good thing, as it will provide peace of mind for the owners. They will know their animals are being looked after well. The kennel owners themselves will also be aware that people are watching too, so it will ensure they do a good job and keep everything in good condition."