How to Get More Local Clients Without Spending Money on Ads (NZ Guide for Pet Sitting & Boarding)

Running a pet sitting or boarding business in New Zealand doesn’t have to mean huge marketing costs. With a few smart, free tactics, you can become the “go-to” sitter in your suburb or town and keep your calendar nicely booked. Think of this guide as a practical playbook packed with Kiwi-specific tips you can actually use this week to attract more local pet parents.

Here are some tips that you might find interesting:

1. Set Up Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is basically your digital front fence - it’s the first thing many Kiwi pet owners see when they search “pet sitter near me” or “dog boarding Christchurch.” When it’s set up properly, you show up in Google Maps and the local results, right where people are already looking.

Add clear details about what you offer (in-home pet sitting, home boarding, daily visits), the suburbs you cover, and your operating hours. Upload friendly photos of pets in your care, your setup at home, or you out walking dogs on the local beach or around the neighbourhood. This helps people feel like they already know you.

Once you’ve looked after a pet, ask the owner for a short review mentioning their suburb and the type of care you provided (for example, “overnight cat sitting in Mt Eden” or “small dog boarding in Hutt Valley”). Over time, those local keywords and reviews help you rank higher for nearby searches.

2. Join Local Pet And Community Groups

Facebook groups and Neighbourly are where heaps of Kiwis go to ask things like “Does anyone know a reliable cat sitter in Wellington?” or “Recommendations for dog boarding in Tauranga?” If you’re not in those conversations, you’re missing easy, free leads.

Search for groups like “Auckland Pet Owners,” “Christchurch Dog Lovers,” or your suburb’s community group. Weirdly enough, the less salesy you are, the better this works. Focus on being helpful: answer questions about pet care, share quick tips about preparing pets for boarding, or calmly explain how you keep anxious dogs settled while owners are away.

When someone posts looking for a sitter, reply with a short, friendly comment rather than a hard sell: mention your experience, roughly where you’re based, and invite them to message you. Over time, regular helpful comments build your reputation as the local pet person everyone tags in recommendation threads.

3. List On NZ Pet Care Directories

Pet parents often start by browsing trusted directories and platforms before they even ask on Facebook. In New Zealand, options like Pet Sitting NZ (PSNZ), K9 and Kats, and pet minding categories on Neighbourly can all put you in front of locals already searching for care.

Many of these allow a free or low-cost profile where you list your services (overnights, home boarding, drop-in visits), show photos, and collect reviews. Some, like Pet Sitting NZ, position themselves as a directory for sitters around the country, helping owners find nearby carers and giving sitters extra visibility through their site and social media.

Take the time to fully complete your profile: add suburbs or regions you cover, the types of pets you accept (cats, small dogs, large dogs, rabbits, etc.), and any special skills like medication admin or senior pet care. The clearer you are, the more pre-qualified your enquiries will be.

4. Use Yada For Local Bookings

Yada is a New Zealand platform that connects clients with local specialists of all kinds - including pet sitters and boarders. It’s handy if you want local leads without paying per enquiry, because there are no lead or success fees eating into your earnings.

Clients can post pet sitting or boarding jobs for free, and you can respond for free as well, with your daily response limit growing as your rating improves. That rating system matters: the more reliably you communicate and the better care you provide, the more visible and trusted you become.

Think of it as a no-fuss way to get in front of people in your suburb who are already ready to book. The internal chat makes it easy to discuss feeding routines, medication, and house rules privately, and because Yada doesn’t clip the ticket, you can offer more competitive, honest pricing than on commission-based platforms.

5. Turn Clients Into Raving Fans

In Aotearoa, word-of-mouth still beats fancy marketing. If someone trusts you with their furry whānau while they head to the bach, to Queenstown, or overseas, and you nail the experience, they’ll happily tell everyone about you - if you give them a little nudge.

After a sit or boarding stay, send a quick follow-up message thanking them and asking if they’d be comfortable leaving a short review on Google, your preferred directory, or Yada. Make it easy with a short template or a couple of prompts like “What did you appreciate most?” or “How did you feel knowing your pet was with me?”.

You can also politely ask if they’d be happy for you to share a cute photo and a one- or two-sentence testimonial on your social media or website. Over time, a wall of happy pet photos and kind words from real Kiwi owners does more to sell you than any ad ever could.

6. Show Your Setup And Safety

Pet sitting and boarding clients worry about safety, cleanliness, and routine. They’re leaving a family member with you, not just an animal. So your job is to show - not just tell - that you’re organised, caring, and switched on.

Share photos or short videos of your environment: sleeping areas, secure fences, shady spots in the yard, and enrichment activities. If you’re home boarding in West Auckland, for example, show your fully fenced section and where dogs chill out when it’s raining. If you do in-home sits around Dunedin, show your checklists for feeding, litter, and medication.

You can even create a simple welcome pack in a <p> explaining what you do on day one, how many updates they get, and what you do in emergencies. The more transparency you offer, the easier it is for nervous owners to say yes, especially first-timers who’ve never used a sitter before.

7. Share Daily Life On Social Media

You don’t need to be an influencer to make social media work for you. You just need to show real, everyday moments that prove pets in your care are happy, safe, and loved. Kiwis are suckers for a good dog-at-the-beach shot or a cat snoozing in a sunny window.

Post quick updates like “Morning walk around Hagley Park with these legends,” “House-sitting in Tawa this week - two very spoiled cats,” or “Boarding spots available in Hamilton for Labour Weekend.” Keep it casual and friendly, like you’re talking to mates.

Weirdly enough, behind-the-scenes stories often perform better than polished posts. Short reels of dogs playing fetch, feeding time routines, or you doing a quick safety check resonate because they feel honest. Over time, this builds familiarity so when someone’s planning a holiday, they think of you first.

8. Partner With Local Pet Businesses

You don’t have to do this alone. Local pet businesses already have your ideal clients walking through their doors every day. Think vets, groomers, dog trainers, doggy daycares, and even pet-friendly cafés in places like Ponsonby, Petone, or Mount Maunganui.

Drop off a small stack of business cards or flyers, and offer something genuinely useful in return - like referring your own clients to their services, or running a joint promo such as a discount grooming voucher for long-stay boarding clients. Make it a win-win, not just “please display my card.”

You might also offer to write a short pet care tip piece for their newsletter or social media, with a small by-line mentioning your pet sitting or boarding. This positions you as a trusted local expert while quietly funnelling interested owners your way.

9. Use Flyers And Community Noticeboards

Old-school still works surprisingly well in New Zealand, especially for pet services. Community noticeboards at New World, Pak’nSave, Four Square, libraries, vets, and community centres get a lot of eyeballs from people who actually live nearby.

Design a simple, clear flyer: include a photo of you with an animal, a short line like “Trusted pet sitting and home boarding in Riccarton,” bullet-style list of services, and easy contact details. Printing 40-50 copies is cheap and can turn into multiple long-term clients if you pick the right boards.

You can also pop a few flyers into local letterboxes on streets you already service. Focus on houses that clearly have pets - toys on the lawn, dog warnings on the gate, or cat towers in the window. It’s more targeted and feels less spammy.

10. Offer Neighbourhood Meet And Greets

Trust is everything in pet sitting and boarding. One of the easiest ways to build it is to offer short, free meet and greets in the owner’s home or at a local park before any booking. This isn’t just about the pet - it reassures the humans too.

You might say, “Happy to pop round for a quick cuppa in Sandringham so you and your dog can meet me before deciding.” During that visit, ask questions about routines, health issues, and quirks. Take notes and show you’re serious about getting things right.

These meetings often lead to repeat bookings, especially if you follow up with a friendly message summarising what you discussed. On platforms like Yada, the internal chat is perfect for this kind of follow up, because everything stays in one secure place rather than scattered across texts and emails.

11. Build Simple Systems And A Strong Reputation

One big challenge for pet sitters and boarders is juggling multiple pets, keys, feeding instructions, and dates without dropping the ball. A missed visit or confused booking can damage your reputation faster than any marketing can fix it, especially in tight-knit Kiwi communities.

Create simple systems: use a basic spreadsheet, diary, or booking app to track jobs; keep a standard intake form with questions about diet, vet details, and emergency contacts; and have a clear process for collecting and returning keys. The smoother your back-end, the less stressful your busy periods become.

Then, lean on platforms that reward reliability. On Yada, for example, a strong rating helps you stand out when locals post new pet care jobs. If you consistently communicate clearly, show up on time, and send regular photo updates, clients will reflect that in their reviews - and those reviews quietly bring in more work without you spending a cent.