Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

PawCare ("we", "our", or "us") operates a platform that connects pet parents with veterinarians, NGOs, pet care providers (walking, sitting, boarding, daycare), groomers, and animal shelters across India. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and safeguard your information when you use our website, mobile application, or services. By using PawCare, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account data: Name, email address, phone number, password (stored in hashed form)
• Pet information: Pet names, species, breeds, age, health records, vaccination history, photos, and microchip details when you add pets or use our services
• Booking data: Vet appointments, grooming bookings, pet care bookings, adoption applications, dates, and service preferences
• Lost & Found reports: Pet descriptions, photos, contact details, location data (last seen area), reward information when you report lost or found pets
• Organization data: For vets, NGOs, groomers, and pet care providers — business name, address, services offered, pricing, working hours, verification documents
• Communications: Messages sent via our contact form, support inquiries, and feedback

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device & usage data: IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, pages visited, time spent, and referring URLs
• Location data: Approximate location derived from IP or precise location when you enable it for lost & found or directory search
• Cookies and similar technologies: Session cookies for authentication, preference cookies, and analytics cookies (see Section 8)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our services
• Process bookings, adoptions, lost pet reports, and transactions
• Send transactional notifications (appointment confirmations, lost pet matches, booking reminders)
• Verify organizations (vets, NGOs, pet care providers) and maintain platform integrity
• Improve our AI features (symptom checker, breed ID, AI assistant) through aggregated, anonymized usage data
• Respond to support requests and communicate with you
• Detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, and security issues
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Use
• Send marketing communications (only with your consent; you may opt out at any time)

4. Sharing Your Information

We may share information with:

• Service providers: Vets, pet care providers, groomers — only the information necessary to fulfill bookings (e.g., pet details, contact info, dates)
• NGOs and rescuers: When you report a lost or found pet, to help reunite families and coordinate rescue efforts
• Payment processors: To process payments; we do not store full card numbers
• Legal authorities: When required by law, court order, or to protect our rights, users, or the public
• Analytics providers: Aggregated, anonymized data for service improvement

We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

5. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. After account deletion, we may retain certain data for legal compliance, dispute resolution, and legitimate business purposes (e.g., anonymized analytics). Pet health records and booking history may be retained as required by applicable regulations.

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard measures to protect your data, including:

• Encryption in transit (TLS/HTTPS) and at rest where applicable
• Secure servers with access controls and monitoring
• Password hashing (bcrypt/argon2) — we never store plain-text passwords
• Regular security assessments and updates

Pet health records and sensitive information are stored with additional safeguards. Despite our efforts, no system is 100% secure; we encourage you to use strong passwords and keep your account credentials confidential.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Object or restrict: Object to certain processing or request restriction of processing
• Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time

To exercise these rights, contact us via our Contact page. You can also manage your account settings, pet profiles, and notification preferences from your dashboard. We will respond to valid requests within 30 days.

8. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies for:

• Essential: Session management, authentication, security
• Preferences: Language, region, display settings
• Analytics: Understanding how users interact with our platform (aggregated, anonymized)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect platform functionality.

9. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for users under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have collected data from a minor, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

10. International Transfers

Your data may be processed in India and, where applicable, in other jurisdictions where our service providers operate. We ensure appropriate safeguards (e.g., standard contractual clauses) when transferring data outside your country of residence.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. For significant changes, we may also notify you by email or in-app notification. Continued use of PawCare after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions, data requests, or complaints: Contact Us