How We Use Your Data

Introduction

At Paws Source, we treat your trust like we treat your pets—with care, responsibility, and transparency. This document explains exactly how we collect, process, store, and protect your personal information when you use our platform, purchase products, or interact with our veterinary and grooming services.

Information We Collect

To deliver personalized pet care services, we collect only the data necessary to operate safely and effectively:

• Account Information: Name, email, phone number, and secure password when you register.
• Pet Profiles: Breed, age, weight, medical history, dietary restrictions, and grooming preferences.
• Transaction Data: Payment details (processed securely by PCI-compliant partners), shipping addresses, and order history.
• Service Interactions: Vet consultation transcripts, grooming notes, and boarding stay records.
• Technical & Usage Data: Device type, IP address, browser cookies, and platform navigation patterns for security and optimization.

How We Use Your Data

Your information enables us to deliver safe, tailored, and efficient pet care services. Specifically, we use your data to:

1. Process and fulfill orders for pet nutrition, supplies, and wellness products.
2. Facilitate secure telemedicine consultations with licensed veterinarians.
3. Customize grooming packages and boarding care plans based on your pet's needs.
4. Send service reminders (vaccinations, subscription refills, appointment bookings).
5. Improve platform usability, prevent fraud, and ensure compliance with veterinary regulations.
6. Communicate important updates, recall notices, or pet safety alerts.

We strictly limit data processing to these purposes and require explicit consent for any marketing communications, which you can opt out of at any time.

Data Sharing & Third Parties

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. Data may only be shared with trusted partners under strict contractual obligations:

• Payment Processors: Stripe & Square (PCI DSS compliant) for secure transactions.
• Veterinary Network: Licensed vets receive only medical history relevant to consultations.
• Shipping & Boarding Facilities: Address and pet care instructions shared solely for service fulfillment.
• Legal & Compliance: Disclosed only when required by law, court order, or to protect against fraud.

Security & Data Retention

We implement industry-standard safeguards to protect your data:

• End-to-end encryption (TLS 1.3) for all data in transit
• AES-256 encryption for stored personal and medical records
• Regular security audits, penetration testing, and staff privacy training
• Role-based access controls limiting employee data visibility

Retention Policy: We retain your data only as long as necessary to provide services, comply with veterinary record laws (typically 7 years), or resolve disputes. You may request permanent deletion at any time.

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights under GDPR, CCPA, and other applicable privacy laws:

• Access, update, or download your personal data
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Opt out of marketing communications
• Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Lodge a complaint with relevant data protection authorities

To exercise these rights, log into your account dashboard or contact our privacy team directly.

Policy Updates

We periodically review and update this policy to reflect changes in our services, technology, or legal requirements. Significant updates will be communicated via email and in-app notifications. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page will always reflect the current version.

Contact Us

If you have questions about how we use your data, need help managing your privacy settings, or wish to file a data request:

• 📧 Email: privacy@pawssource.com
• 📞 Support Line: 1-800-PAWS-SRC (8AM–8PM EST)
• 📍 Mailing Address: Paws Source Privacy Team, 1200 Pet Wellness Blvd, Austin, TX 78701

We respond to all privacy inquiries within 5 business days.