Paws Nearby Privacy Policy

We at Paws Nearby Inc. (“Paws Nearby”, “company”, “we”, “us” or “our”) respect your privacy and data security and are committed to protecting it by complying with this policy.

This policy describes:

The types of information we may collect or that Paws Nearby platform users and customers (“you”) may provide when you use our Services (as described below) through our website (pawsnearby.com) (the “Website”).
Our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information.
How we use personal information, and the circumstances under which we may share this information with a third party.

We offer a user-friendly web-based platform designed to facilitate connections between Pet Owners for the purposes of arranging Sits for their pets(the “Services”). The Services are limited to providing the Website only, and Paws Nearby does not participate in or control any discussions, negotiations, arrangements, or agreements made between Members. For more information, please visit our Terms of Service.

We will only use your personal information in accordance with this policy unless otherwise required by applicable law. We take steps to ensure that the personal information that we collect about you is adequate, relevant, not excessive, and used for limited purposes.

We have developed our privacy policy primarily in compliance with the Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), as our services are currently provided exclusively in Ontario, Canada. While we are not subject to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) at this time, we have incorporated certain GDPR principles as best practices in our privacy policy. For more information on PIPEDA, visit priv.gc.ca.

Privacy laws in Canada generally define “personal information” as any information about an identifiable individual, which includes information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person. Personal information does not include business contact information, including your name, title, or business contact information.

This policy applies only to information we collect through your use of the Services on our Website, in email, and other electronic communications sent through or in connection with the Services.

This policy DOES NOT apply to information that:

We collect offline or on any other Paws Nearby platforms, websites, including websites you may access through our Services.
You provide to or is collected by any third party (see Third-Party Information Collection).

Our Services, and any third parties, may have their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to read before providing information on or through them.

Please read this policy carefully to understand our policies and practices for collecting, processing, and storing your information. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH OUR POLICIES AND PRACTICES, DO NOT ENGAGE WITH THE SERVICES, INCLUDING ACCESSING THE WEBSITE. BY ENGAGING WITH THE SERVICES OR ACCESSING THE WEBSITE, YOU INDICATE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND, ACCEPT, AND CONSENT TO THE PRACTICES DESCRIBED IN THIS PRIVACY POLICY. This policy may change from time to time. Your continued use of the Services through the Website after we make changes indicates that you accept and consent to those changes, so please check the policy periodically for updates.

INFORMATION WE COLLECT ABOUT YOU AND HOW WE COLLECT IT
HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION
DISCLOSURE OF YOUR INFORMATION
TRANSFERRING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
CHOICES ABOUT HOW WE USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR INFORMATION
DATA SECURITY
DATA RETENTION
CHILDREN AND USERS UNDER THE AGE OF 18
ACCESSING AND CORRECTING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
WITHDRAWING YOUR CONSENT
CHANGES TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY
CONTACT INFORMATION AND CHALLENGING COMPLIANCE

1. INFORMATION WE COLLECT ABOUT YOU AND HOW WE COLLECT IT

We collect information about you through:

Direct interactions with you when you provide it to us, for example, by filling in electronic forms, corresponding with us, and submitting your information required to make a user account and engage with our Services.
Interactions between Members, to ensure your safety and for quality assurance purposes we may collect information and data related to the interactions between Members arranging Sits.
Automated technologies or interactions, when you use the Website, for example, usage details, IP addresses, and information collected through cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies.

The types of information that we collect include:

Personal information that we can reasonably use to directly or indirectly identify you, such as your name, mailing address, email address, telephone number, internet protocol (IP) address, username or other similar identifier, billing and account information, geolocation, and any other identifier we may use to contact you (“personal information”). We provide an opportunity for any user to unsubscribe or opt-out of contact for marketing purposes or user feedback on an ongoing basis by using the unsubscribe mechanism at the bottom of our emails, or sending us an email with your intention to unsubscribe to [email protected].
Non-personal information that does not directly or indirectly reveal your identity or directly relate to an identified individual, such as demographic information or statistical or aggregated information. We may derive non-personal statistical or aggregated data from personal information. For example, we may aggregate personal information to calculate the percentage of users accessing a specific feature.
Access to messages between Members for your safety and quality assurance purposes.
Technical information, including your login information, device type, time zone setting, and usage details.

Depending on your age and privacy requirements in your jurisdiction, we may require a copy of your ID document for verification purposes. Any such ID will strictly be used for the verification event and will be immediately deleted after the verification has been processed.

Information You Provide to Us

When you use our Services, we may ask you to provide:

Information by filling in forms on the Website. This includes information you provide when registering to make an account, using our Website, subscribing to our Services, and posting material such as Reviews. We may also ask you for information when you report a problem with the Website or provide us with user feedback.
Records and copies of your correspondence, including email addresses and phone numbers, if you contact us.
Details of interactions you carry out through the Website.
Your search queries on the Website.
Your geographical location, such as your town/city or province that you’re located in.
Pictures, videos, or documents related to the Listing or Sit.

You may also provide information for publication or display (“posted”) on public areas of the Website, including reviews and feedback about other Members (collectively, “User Contributions”). As part of your Membership, you can (i) leave a review or give feedback on another Member; or (ii) receive a review or feedback from another Member, which will involve the processing of your personal data. We encourage you not to include any personal information when writing a review or giving feedback. You post and transmit User Contributions to others at your own risk. Although you may set certain privacy settings for such information by logging into your account profile, please be aware that no security measures are perfect. We cannot control the actions of third parties with whom you may choose to share your User Contributions. Therefore, we do not guarantee that unauthorized persons will not view your User Contributions.

Automatic Information Collection and Tracking Technologies

When you interact with the Services, including the Website, it may automatically collect:

Usage details. When you access and use the Website, we may automatically collect certain details of your access to and use of the Website, including traffic data, location data, logs, and other communication data and the resources that you access and use on or through the Website.
Device information. We may collect information about your mobile device and internet connection, including the device’s unique device identifier, IP address, operating system, browser type, mobile network information, and the device’s telephone number.
Stored information and files. The Website may also access metadata and other information associated with other files stored on your device.
Location information. The Website can collect real-time information about the location of your device. This feature allows us to provide you with a more tailored experience, including matching you to other Members who may be within your geographical vicinity.

The technologies we use for this automatic data collection may include:

A cookie is a small file placed on your web browser. It may be possible to refuse to accept cookies by activating the appropriate setting within your web browser. However, if you select this setting, you may be unable to access certain parts of our Website.
Web beacons. Pages of the Website may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags and single-pixel gifs) that permit Paws Nearby, for example, to count users who have visited those pages and for other related Website statistics (for example, for verifying system and server integrity).

If you do not want us to collect this information, do not engage with the Services or visit the Website. Note, however, that opting out of the Service’s collection of location information will cause its location-based features to be disabled, which will render certain features of the Services unusable.

Payment Information

If you choose to purchase a Membership or subscribe to any Services that require a fee, you will be required to provide us with your payment information, including, without limitation, bank account numbers, credit card or debit card numbers, account details, automated clearing house (“ACH”) information and similar data (collectively, “Payment Information”). Such Payment Information will be collected and processed by STRIPE, our third party payment processor, pursuant to the terms and conditions of STRIPE’s privacy policy and terms of use, and we do not obtain access to any Payment Information in connection with such purchases or subscriptions.

Third-Party Information Collection

When you use the Services, its content, or link to features and services (such as social applications like Facebook, Instagram, or X) that are provided by a third party, you use these third party services and content at your own risk. If you use such features and services, please understand that the third parties that operate them may collect information from you, which will be used in accordance with their own privacy policy and terms of service, which may differ from ours. We explicitly deny any responsibility or liability for any third-party policies or for any personal data that may be collected through third party websites or services.

We do not control these third parties’ tracking technologies or how they use them. If you have any questions about an advertisement or other targeted content, you should contact the responsible provider directly.

2. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any personal information:

To provide you with the Services and its contents.
To provide you with information, products or services that you request from us.
To fulfill the purposes for which you provided it or that were described when it was collected or any other purpose for which you provide it.
To carry out our obligations and enforce our rights in any contracts with you, including for billing and collection or to comply with legal requirements.
To notify you when Services updates are available, and of any changes.
To improve our Services, or customer relationships and experiences.
To allow you to participate in interactive features on our Website.
For any other purpose with your consent.

Usage information that we collect helps us to improve our Services and to deliver a better and more personalized experience, including by enabling us to:

Estimate our audience size and usage patterns.
Store information about your preferences, allowing us to customize our Services according to your individual interests.
Speed up your searches.
Recognize you when you use the Website.

We use location information we collect to better tailor your experience and usage of the Services.

3. DISCLOSURE OF YOUR INFORMATION

We may disclose aggregated information about our users, and information that does not identify any individual.

We may disclose personal information that we collect or you provide as described in this privacy policy:

To our subsidiaries and affiliates.
According to applicable law, to a buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of Paws Nearby Inc.’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal information held by Paws Nearby Inc. about our customers and users is among the assets transferred.
To fulfill the purpose for which you provide it.
For any other purpose we disclose when you provide the information.
With your consent.
To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request, according to applicable law.
To enforce our rights arising from any contracts between you and us, including the Terms of Service, and for billing and collection.

4. TRANSFERRING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We may transfer personal information that we collect or that you provide us to contractors, service providers, and other third parties we use to support the Services and the Website (such as analytics providers that assist us with Website improvement and optimization) and who are contractually obligated to keep personal information confidential, to use it only for the purposes for which we disclose it to them, and to process the personal information with the same standards set out in this policy.

We may process, store, and transfer your personal information in and to other countries with different privacy laws that may or may not be as comprehensive as Canadian law. In these circumstances, the governments, courts, law enforcement, or regulatory agencies of that country may be able to obtain access to your personal information. Whenever we engage a service provider, we require that its privacy and security standards comply with this policy and applicable Canadian laws.

BY SUBMITTING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION OR ENGAGING WITH THE SERVICES, YOU CONSENT TO THIS TRANSFER, STORAGE, OR PROCESSING.

5. CHOICES ABOUT HOW WE USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR INFORMATION

We strive to provide you with choices regarding the personal information you provide to us. We have created mechanisms to provide you with the following control over your information:

Tracking Technologies and Advertising. You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies or block the use of other tracking technologies, some parts of the Services, including the Website, may not be accessible or may not function properly. For more information about tracking technologies, see Automatic Information Collection and Tracking Technologies above.
Location Information. You can choose whether to allow the Website to collect and use real-time information about your device’s location through the device’s privacy settings or by disabling your Location from your mobile device. If you block the use of location information, some parts of the Website may be inaccessible or not function properly.

6. DATA SECURITY

The security of your personal information is very important to us. We use electronic, and administrative measures designed to secure your personal information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. We store all information you provide to us behind firewalls on our secure servers. Any payment transactions will be encrypted using SSL technology.

The safety and security of your information also depends on you. Where we have given you (or you have chosen) a password for access to certain parts of our Website, you are responsible for keeping it confidential. We ask you not to share your password with anyone. We urge you to be careful about giving out information in public areas of the Website, such as the internal messaging feature.

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the Internet and mobile platforms is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted through the Website. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of the Website’s privacy settings or security measures.

Location of Servers

Paws Nearby Inc. operates and stores all user data on servers located exclusively within Canada, in accordance with applicable Canadian privacy laws. All personal information collected through the Platform is processed and maintained on secure servers located in Ontario and other regions within Canada.

While our servers are located in Canada, some personal information may be processed outside of Canada by our contractors. Your data remains subject to PIPEDA and relevant provincial privacy legislation, where applicable. Additionally, where personal information is transferred or processed outside Canada, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place through contractual measures and data protection agreements with our service providers.

We implement appropriate technical, administrative, and organizational safeguards to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction, in alignment with industry best practices and Canadian legal requirements.

7. DATA RETENTION

Except as otherwise permitted or required by applicable law or regulation, we will only retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Under some circumstances, we may anonymize or aggregate your personal information so that it can no longer be associated with you. We reserve the right to use such anonymous and de-identified data for any legitimate business purpose without further notice to you or your consent.

8. CHILDREN AND USERS UNDER THE AGE OF 18

The Website or any of our Services are not intended for children or anyone under the age of 18. No one under age 18 may provide any information whatsoever on the Website. We do not knowingly collect personal information from any child or person under the age of 18. IF YOU ARE UNDER 18, DO NOT USE OR PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE OR ON OR THROUGH ANY OF ITS FEATURES/REGISTER ON THE WEBSITE, MAKE ANY PURCHASES THROUGH THE WEBSITE, USE ANY OF THE INTERACTIVE OR PUBLIC COMMENT FEATURES OF THIS WEBSITE, OR PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT YOURSELF TO US, INCLUDING YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER, EMAIL ADDRESS, OR ANY USER NAME YOU MAY USE. If we learn we have collected or received personal information from a child or anyone under 18, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child or anyone under 18, please contact us at [email protected]. We will not be responsible or held liable for any data deleted or removed of any user found to be under the age of 18.

9. ACCESSING AND CORRECTING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

To ensure proper service delivery, we kindly ask you to notify us of any changes to your personal information. Under applicable law, you are entitled to access your personal information in our possession and request corrections to ensure its accuracy.

You can review and change your personal information by logging into the Website and visiting your account profile page.

To verify your identity and validate your access rights, we may need you to provide certain identifying information before we can share or modify the personal information we maintain about you. Please note that there may be instances where we are legally permitted or required to deny access to some or all of your personal information. Additionally, in compliance with our record retention policies and obligations, we may have already anonymized, deleted, or destroyed certain personal information. Should we be unable to fulfill your access request, we will provide you with an explanation for the denial, in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

We will provide access to your personal information, subject to exceptions set out in the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

If you are concerned about our response or would like to correct the information provided, you may contact our Privacy Officer at [email protected].

10. WITHDRAWING YOUR CONSENT

If you have provided your consent to the collection, use, and transfer of your personal information, you may have the legal right to withdraw your consent under certain circumstances. To withdraw your consent, if applicable, contact us at [email protected]. Please note that if you withdraw your consent, we may not be able to provide you with a particular product or service. We will explain the impact to you at the time to help you make your decision.

11. CHANGES TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY

We may update our privacy policy from time to time. It is our policy to post any changes we make to our privacy policy on this page with a notice that we have updated the privacy policy. If we make material changes to how we treat our users’ personal information, we will post the new privacy policy on this page with a notice that the privacy policy has been updated and notify you by email to the primary email address specified in your account and an alert the first time you log into your account on the Website after we make the change.

We include the date the privacy policy was last revised at the top of the page. You are responsible for ensuring we have an up-to-date, active, and deliverable email address for you, and for periodically visiting this privacy policy to check for any changes.

Your continued use of the Services after we post any modifications to the privacy policy will constitute your acknowledgment and acceptance of the modified privacy policy.

12. CONTACT INFORMATION AND CHALLENGING COMPLIANCE

We welcome your questions, comments, and requests regarding this privacy policy and our privacy practices. You can contact us by reaching out to our Privacy Officer via email at [email protected].