The K9 Resort on Marlborough Road has announced plans to convert one of its indoor pools into a dedicated swimming facility for dogs, after opening in June under site manager Lucy, her husband Andrew, and their friend Nicky. Since then the resort says it has welcomed canine visitors from as far away as Cardiff and Plymouth, all making the trip for a supervised dip.

The pool in question, originally built for a private residence many years ago, will get a new ramp to replace its existing underwater steps, which Lucy says some dogs find confusing when working out where the water actually begins. An automatic pump and cleaning system is also planned, continuously checking chemical levels and topping up treatment as needed, while human and dog showers have already been fitted so everyone leaves smelling of chlorine rather than pond. The whole scheme remains in a trial phase while the team judges demand before committing further.

Lucy says the idea began after watching her retired police dog Major take to the water, and that the nearest comparable facility she could find was two hours away, which struck her as a gap in the market roughly the size of Wiltshire. Sessions are by appointment only, meaning dogs who would rather not socialise with other dogs can swim in peace, a level of personal space not currently available to humans at any leisure centre in the borough.

Brenda Pask, 72, of Old Town, who has lived there since before it was old, said she had gone down to have a look out of professional interest, having once queued forty minutes outside the Oasis in the rain with a towel and a two bob for the locker. She said she had nothing against a dog getting fit, but drew the line at steps that needed explaining. 'Ron's dog never once got confused by a step,' she said. 'Mind you, he only had three legs, so there wasn't much to think about.'

Gary Tench, Area Manager at Tench Paper Solutions in Westlea, said he had already proposed a staff wellbeing day at the resort, on the grounds that several of the sales team could use some low-impact cardio before the Christmas party. He said the appointment-only policy for dogs that do not get on with other dogs was an idea head office might learn from, given his ongoing situation with a colleague named Keith over a shared stapler. He added that his band, The Lanyards, were exploring a poolside acoustic set, pending written confirmation from Lucy that amplifiers and chlorinated water do, in fact, mix.

The resort says it is still gauging interest before deciding whether to make the pool permanent, with reviews so far described as glowing, a word not previously associated with anything on Marlborough Road. As for the original underwater steps, a resort spokesperson confirmed they would remain in place for any human visitor confident enough to find them unaided.