Introduction

• Pet Buddies is committed to protecting and respecting the privacy of all those who use our website and our services.
• In line with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) it is important to us that our visitors and customers understand what personal data we collect or hold from you and how it will be processed.

What personal data do we collect?

Information provided by you:

• Your name and email if you send an enquiry from our website contact page.
• If you complete our registration forms we will ask you for the personal data that includes your:
  • Name
  • Address
  • Contact numbers, addresses and email address of emergency contacts
  • Details of your pet, including vaccination record, medical conditions, insurance and microchip details.
• This data is only used by the owner of Pet Buddies & its staff. It is stored on the owner’s laptop and mobile phones. Hard copies are kept and each member of the team has a copy that they keep in folders and take out with them in case of an emergency. We do everything to keep your details safe and secure.
• Pet Buddies does not store or use your bank details as you pay by direct bank transfer.

Information we collect from you:

Cookies

• When you first visit our website, we will ask for your permission to use analytical tracking software to monitor your activity on our site. This helps us to better understand how our site is being accessed so that we can improve our visitor’s experience and our customer service.
• This software is provided by Google Analytics which uses cookies to track visitor usage. It does this by collecting your IP Address if you agree to the cookies when you first visit our website.
• Cookies are small, harmless files saved to the user’s computer’s hard drive that track, collect and store information about the user’s interactions and usage of the website.
• There are two types of cookies. Essential and nonessential.
  • Essential cookies do not require consent as they are necessary to ensure the working of the site.
  • Nonessential cookies refer to marketing and analytical cookies. If you grant permission, the software will save a cookie to your computer’s hard drive to track and monitor your engagement and navigation of the website each time you visit.

Google Analytics

• Google Analytics uses your IP user address and tells us about the pages you have accessed and how long you stayed on these pages. It also remembers if you return to our website.
• When you first access our site you will be asked about your preferences and will be able to decline the marketing/analytical cookies.
• If you do not grant permission, we do not receive this information.
• If you wish to block the use of cookies on your hard drive at a later date, you can select ‘cookie settings’ under the privacy settings in your browser options and add our domain name (www.mypetbuddies.co.uk) to the list of websites you deny access.
• Google Analytics provides information to us in an anonymised format (general summary rather than individualised) and this information is stored on the respective platforms.
• Google take your privacy very seriously. For further information, please visit http://www.google.com/privacy.html
• Essential cookies cannot be disabled as they are crucial to the site working correctly and allowing you to browse.

Suppliers

• To pay our suppliers we collect and retain our suppliers bank details. They are stored on the owner’s computer and mobile phones

Why do we hold your data?

• We only hold personal data that we ask you for to:
  • be able to pick your dog up for walks or to visit your pet at home
  • understand the medical history of your pet to keep them safe
  • able to contact you in the event of an emergency (or another person if you are unreachable)
• The data from Google Analytics help us to develop and improve our customer experience. If you choose to, you will have also consented to us receiving this data with the cookie consent policy.
• If you enquire with us we hold your data so that we can respond to you and to send you email updates if they are of interest to you.
• All data we hold is given with consent or in order for us to fulfil our contract with you.
• Your data is stored on my phones and computers which are all password protected.
  

Sharing your information

• We only share your data with our Pet Buddies Walkers so that they can pick up your dog or visit your pet and to contact you should we need to.
• Unless required to so by the law (or for reasons of Vital Interests/Safeguarding) we do not share your data with anyone else.

Data Retention

• If you have enquired to us by email your details will remain in our email system.
• As a customer, we keep your invoice details as required for our financial regulations.
• If you do leave Pet Buddies, we will destroy your Pet Information Form and it will be removed from our hard copy files.

Information Security

• We take a proactive approach to user privacy and ensure the necessary steps are taken to protect the privacy of our website users and the personal information that we hold. Our website complies with all UK national laws and requirements for user privacy and uses a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate.
• We have checked to the best of our knowledge that our website and hosting company have taken all steps possible to protect our site and data. The personal information you provide us with, and we collect is stored on the shared hosting provided by Adventure Graphics Ltd within a secured MySQL database. For further details please visit https://adventuregraphics.co.uk/privacy-policy/.
• To further protect the data and sensitive data we use anti-virus software on our computers and mobile phones.
• While we do take all applicable technical and organisational measures to safeguard your data, it is impossible for us to secure the whole internet entirely. As a user, it is your responsibility to acknowledge this and to understand that the personal details you give to us by your own choice across the internet are transferred at your own risk.

Social Media Platforms

• Our social media engagement is subject to the customs and privacy policies of each social media platform. Social media may have their own tracking cookies in place.
• While we take great care to ensure the security and safety of our follower’s personal information it is up to the individual to use the platforms with due care and caution in regard to their own privacy and personal details.
• Pet Buddies will never ask for personal or sensitive information through social media platforms and encourage users wishing to discuss sensitive details to contact them through primary communication channels such as telephone or email.
• If we use social sharing buttons which help share web content directly from web pages to the social media platform in question, users do so at their own discretion. By default, some social media platforms shorten lengthy URL’s (web addresses) so that they look like this; http://bit.ly/wkDTpk18. These shortened URL’s can be prone to spam and hacking. Pet Buddies cannot take any liability for damages/implications caused by visiting any shortened links.

The right to be forgotten

• We will always include a clear and straightforward opt-out method on all of our marketing email communication in the future with you so that you have an easy to follow route if you decide you no longer wish to be contacted by Pet Buddies. Upon this request, your details will be removed from the database.

Your Data Protection Rights

• Your personal information is kept private and stored securely until a time it is no longer required, is no longer relevant or you ask us to remove your details.
• You may request a copy of the personal data we hold for you or ask us to amend or delete your details free of charge. If you would like to make a request, please email hello@mypetbuddies.co.uk
• We will respond to your request within 30 days providing you provide us with proof of identity if we deem it necessary.

Questions about this Privacy Policy

• It is important to us that our visitors and customers fully understand the privacy implications and this policy aims to outline the obligations and requirements of the users, the website and the website owners as openly and transparently as possible. If there is an area you are unsure about, please do not hesitate to contact us so we can talk you through it.

Updates to this Privacy Policy

• We will update this policy in response to legal, technical or business developments. This policy was last updated in March 2022.

Pet Buddies

hello@mypetbuddies.co.uk