Petme in New Zealand

Earn as a pet sitter in New Zealand

Keep up to 90% per booking. NZ$39,000+ Protection Plan. NZ$40-65 per night for home boarding.

Earn flexibly with Petme across New Zealand. Set your GST-inclusive rate in NZD, pick which dogs and cats to look after, and keep up to 90% of every booking. Petme charges pet owners 0% so your rate stays competitive on repeat bookings, and Kiwi owners come back week after week.

Apply as a sitter
Up to 90%
Kept per booking
NZ$40-65
Typical home boarding per night
300K+
Members on Petme
4.9 / 5
Average sitter rating

Why Petme

Why Kiwi pet owners come back to the same sitter

0% owner fee builds repeat bookings

Petme charges pet owners 0% which keeps repeat bookings sticky. You get weekly walks and recurring boarding from the same Kiwi pet owners.

Protection Plan up to NZ$39,000+

The Protection Plan can contribute up to NZ$39,000+ toward eligible vet costs at any registered Kiwi vet clinic. Owners book with more confidence, you work with less worry.

Cashback for owners drives repeats

Pet owners earn automatic cashback on every booking. That drives repeat bookings and grows your recurring schedule.

In-app chat keeps it tidy

Meet and greets, key handover, photo updates: all in chat. No SMS, no WhatsApp, no scattered threads.

How it works

Apply, verify, go live

Apply

Tell us about yourself, your pets, and your experience. The application takes about 10 minutes.

Get verified

Identity check with a government-issued ID and a background check.

Go live, start booking

Set your GST-inclusive rate and availability in NZD. Owners in your neighbourhood message you in chat. You decide which bookings to accept.

Cities

Become a pet sitter in your Kiwi city

Pick your city for local rates, demand patterns, and city-specific answers.

AucklandAUKCity of SailsAuckland North ShoreAUKNorth of the Harbour BridgeAuckland ManukauAUKSouth AucklandAuckland WaitākereAUKWest AucklandAuckland CBDAUKCity centreChristchurchCANGarden City
Show 13 more cities
WellingtonWGNCoolest little capitalHamiltonWKORiver cityTaurangaBOPGateway to the BayLower HuttWGNHutt ValleyDunedinOTAEdinburgh of the SouthPalmerston NorthMWTManawatu hubNapierHKBArt Deco cityNew PlymouthTKICoastal TaranakiRotoruaBOPSulphur CityWhangāreiNTLNorthland hubNelsonNSNSunny top of the SouthQueenstownOTAAdventure capitalInvercargillSTLDeep South

Want the long-form version first? The full guide to becoming a pet sitter in New Zealand walks through verification, what each service pays and how owners find you.

Seasonality

Peak windows in New Zealand

Christmas and summer

Mid-December through late January is the largest demand window. Auckland and Queenstown spike hardest. Lock in repeat owners through November.

School holidays

Four NZ school terms plus the July ski-season break create predictable smaller demand spikes. Easter long weekend and Labour Weekend are also high-demand.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What can a sitter earn in New Zealand?
Going by what local sitters charge (measured October 2026), home boarding runs NZ$40-65 a night (GST inclusive), 30 minute walks NZ$15-35, home doggy daycare NZ$25-65 a day, cat visits NZ$15-35 and house sitting NZ$35-80 a night. You set your own rate, and you keep up to 90% of every booking.
Do I pay tax on pet sitting or dog walking income in New Zealand?
Yes. Income from sitting or walking is self-employed income, and IRD taxes the net profit through an individual income tax return. You must register for GST once your turnover reaches NZ$60,000 in 12 months, or you expect it to, and provisional tax applies if your tax bill at the end of the year was more than NZ$5,000.
Do I need a licence to walk dogs in New Zealand?
It depends on the council. Wellington City Council licenses anyone who walks or trains dogs as a business in its shared public spaces, at NZ$213 to apply and NZ$68.50 a year to renew. Auckland Council needs a free approval before you walk more than four dogs at once. Elsewhere, check the local dog control bylaw.
How does the Protection Plan work?
The Protection Plan can contribute up to NZ$39,000+ toward eligible vet costs for the pet in your care if something happens during a Petme booking. It is a fund for eligible costs, so the Protection Plan terms set out what qualifies.
Do I need to follow the Animal Welfare Act?
Yes. The Animal Welfare Act 1999 applies to anyone caring for an animal, including a sitter, and the Ministry for Primary Industries publishes codes of welfare that set the minimum standards. On Petme you follow the owner's routine for food, exercise and medication and send updates through the app.
When do pet sitters get the most bookings in New Zealand?
Around the school holidays, when families travel. Summer holidays start by 19 December 2026 and Term 1 of 2027 starts between 28 January and 3 February. The 2027 term breaks then run 10 to 26 April, 3 to 18 July and 25 September to 10 October, so block those dates in your calendar early.

Application takes 10 minutes

Once your identity verification is approved, your profile goes live and owners in your neighbourhood message you. You decide which bookings to accept.

Apply as a sitter