In exchange for pet care, sitters get free accommodation and occasionally a fridge of food or spending money at the owner’s discretion.You can sit for cats and dogs, reptiles such as bearded dragons, or even horses or sheep for the more country-inclined sitter.

Organisers of the “wooferendum” march say more than half of vets registering in the UK each year come from abroad, most from the EU, and they cite a report by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) saying a cut in numbers would be likely to cause shortages, jeopardising animal welfare and economic production.