Keeping track of your precious pets
Streetwise Pets NZ imports GPS tracking devices
Ever wondered what your cat was up to on that afternoon stroll? Or worried that your dog might have jumped the fence?
It’s that worry and the ability to know where your pet is — or where they have been — that has led to Levin woman Rebekah Sinclair becoming a finalist in the 2022 Electra Business and Innovation Awards for the Top Shop award, which is about celebrating great customer service.
Sinclair’s business Streetwise Pets NZ imports and sells GPS tracking devices small enough to fit on the collar of your cat or dog.
Sinclair said Streetwise
Pets NZ is 100% New Zealand owned and operated and was tested, proven and trusted on the domestic market.
The cat and dog friendly devices are small and lightweight and use GPS satellite technology to transmit the movements of the pet to an app so that owners are aware of their pet’s whereabouts at any time.
“One in three pets get lost at some point in their life,” she said.
Often used to find lost pets, the app gives a graphic that shows detailed movements over a period of time to show just where a pet has been or currently is. There are two products, one called Claws and Paws for cats, the other called K9 Ultimate Plus, for dogs. The app also gives the ability to set up a “geo-fence” (allocated safe area), so that when a pet leaves a certain designated area the owner is alerted.
Pet owners can easily download the apps on their phone. “With the K9 device there is an awesome feature where you get to call your dog and speak to your pet through the device. Customers have called their dog home using this feature,” she said.
It was on a trip to South Africa that Sinclair was introduced to the idea. Friends there were using similar devices for their cats and “raved” about them.
“So that’s how it started. I always wanted to be in business. I was struggling to find fulltime work, and thought it was a brilliant idea so gave it a go,” she said.
She contacted the South African company distributing the devices, who gave details of the supplier. The rest is history.
In a short time the business had developed into a fulltime role for Sinclair. It is website based and orders are placed and dispatched through streetwisepets.co.nz, although she often sets up stalls at various markets and shows.
The devices use satellite tracking and a NZ Network Provider. Sinclair is excited about what the future holds as technology evolves.
At present a larger number of sales are to cat owners.