Privacy Policy

1.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, password, and physical address
• Pet Information: Pet names, breeds, ages, weights, medical records, vaccination history, behavioral traits, dietary requirements, and emergency contacts
• Host Verification Data: For pet care providers, we collect government-issued ID, Social Security Number (SSN), date of birth, and residential address. This sensitive data is transmitted directly to our background check partner (Checkr) via encrypted channels and is not stored on our primary servers.
• Financial Information: Payment card details (processed by Stripe), bank account information for payouts, and billing addresses
• Communications: Messages, reviews, photos, and content you share through our platform

1.2 Information Automatically Collected

• Device & Usage Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, pages visited, time spent, and referral sources
• Location Data: Precise or approximate location from your device (when you grant permission) to power search features and show nearby pet care providers
• Cookies & Similar Technologies: See our Cookie Policy for details

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• Service Delivery: Enable bookings, scheduling, messaging, payments, and all platform features
• Safety & Trust: Conduct background checks, verify identities, prevent fraud, and ensure platform security
• Customer Support: Respond to inquiries, resolve disputes, and provide assistance
• Platform Improvement: Analyze usage patterns, conduct research, and develop new features
• Marketing: Send promotional emails, special offers, and platform updates (you can opt out at any time)
• Legal Compliance: Meet tax reporting obligations (1099-K forms for hosts earning over $5,000), respond to legal requests, and enforce our Terms of Service

We do not sell your personal information. We share your data only in the following circumstances:

3.1 Essential Service Providers

• Checkr: Background check services for host verification. We share SSN, date of birth, name, and address to conduct criminal background and sex offender registry checks.
• Stripe: Payment processing, subscription management, and 1099-K tax form generation. We share financial data and transaction history.
• Twilio: SMS messaging and phone proxy services for secure host-owner communication
• Resend: Email delivery services for transactional and marketing emails
• Vercel/AWS: Cloud hosting infrastructure and data storage

3.2 Insurance & Safety Partners

We may share booking details, incident reports, and pet information with insurance providers to facilitate claims under the DogLovers Protection Guarantee (up to $1M secondary liability coverage).

3.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law, including responding to subpoenas, court orders, or government requests, and to protect our rights or the safety of our users.

3.4 Business Transfers

If Dog Lovers is acquired, merged, or sells substantially all its assets, your information may be transferred to the successor entity.

4.1 Security Measures

• • Industry-standard SSL/TLS encryption for data in transit
• • AES-256 encryption for sensitive data at rest
• • Secure authentication with bcrypt password hashing
• • Regular security audits and penetration testing
• • Role-based access controls and audit logging

While we implement robust security measures, no method of internet transmission is 100% secure. You acknowledge this risk when using our platform.

4.2 Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. After account deletion, we retain certain data for:

• • Tax compliance: 7 years (IRS requirement)
• • Legal disputes: Statute of limitations period
• • Fraud prevention: 5 years
• • Anonymized analytics: Indefinitely

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights under applicable privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA, CPRA, and state-specific laws):

5.1 Access & Portability

Request a copy of your personal data in a machine-readable format

5.2 Correction

Update or correct inaccurate personal information

5.3 Deletion

Request deletion of your account and personal data (subject to legal retention requirements)

5.4 Opt-Out Rights

• • Targeted advertising (honor Global Privacy Control signals)
• • Marketing emails (click "unsubscribe" in any email)
• • SMS notifications (reply STOP)
• • Sale/sharing of personal information (we don't sell data, but you can opt out of cross-context behavioral advertising)

5.5 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

California users have additional rights including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to opt out of automated decision-making, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights.

We use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to improve your experience. For detailed information about the cookies we use and how to manage them, please see our Cookie Policy.

7. Children's Privacy

Our platform is not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

8. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States and other countries where our service providers operate. By using DogLovers, you consent to these transfers. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Material changes will be communicated via email or prominent notice on our platform. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

10. Contact Us