This notice explains how CiviPet collects and uses personal information when someone applies to the Pioneer Breeder Programme, uses the CiviPet website or app, participates in the community, manages pets and litters, transfers a pet or CiviPet Tag, or contacts us.
1. Who is responsible for your information
ANC Business Solutions Ltd, trading as CiviPet, is the data controller for the processing described in this notice. We are registered in England and Wales under company number 11700437, with registered office at PMJ House, Suite 6, Highlands Road, Solihull, West Midlands, England, B90 4ND.
Privacy contact: privacy@civipet.com
2. Information we collect
- Application information: name, email address, telephone number, town or city, county, postcode, breeder or business name, animal types, breeding experience and application answers.
- Verification information: licence, registration, club membership or professional-status details and evidence where relevant.
- Account and profile information: login identifiers, role, profile photographs, public biography, settings and badges.
- Pet and breeding records: pet names, photographs, type, breed, sex, dates, lineage, litter information, weights, reminders, documents, microchip-related fields and veterinary-practice references.
- Ownership and tag information: tag identifiers, assignment, invitation, acceptance, transfer status, public safety-profile settings and scan-event technical data.
- Community and communications: messages, posts, comments, likes, reports, support requests and feedback.
- Technical and usage information: device type, app version, IP address, sign-in events, crash data, logs, approximate location where a location feature is used and cookie or analytics choices.
- Marketing preferences: records of consent, objection or unsubscribe requests.
- Information received from another person: for example, when a breeder sends a pet-handover invitation to a new owner.
We do not ask Pioneer applicants to provide special-category personal data, criminal-offence data or information about children. Please do not upload such information unless a CiviPet feature specifically requires it and provides an appropriate explanation.
3. How and why we use personal information
| Purpose | Typical information | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Receive and assess Pioneer applications | Identity, contact, experience, breeder details and answers | Steps requested before entering the programme contract; legitimate interests in selecting suitable BETA participants |
| Create and manage accounts | Identity, login, profile, preferences and service records | Contract; legitimate interests in secure administration |
| Provide pet, litter, lineage, document, weight and reminder tools | Account, pet and uploaded record information | Contract; legitimate interests in providing and improving the service |
| Manage tags and ownership handovers | Pet, tag, breeder, owner, invitation and audit information | Contract; legitimate interests in secure transfers and fraud prevention |
| Operate community, messaging and support | Posts, messages, reports, contact details and case records | Contract; legitimate interests in communication, moderation and support |
| Protect users and the platform | Account, activity, device, security and report information | Legitimate interests; legal obligations where applicable |
| Measure website visits and traffic sources | Page visits, interaction events, approximate location, device and referral information | Consent |
| Optional marketing | Contact details and preferences | Consent where required; legitimate interests where the law permits |
| Meet legal obligations and handle claims | Relevant account, transaction, communication and audit records | Legal obligation; legitimate interests in establishing or defending legal rights |
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the need for the processing, its benefit and the effect on individuals. You may object in relevant circumstances.
4. Public information and choices
Some CiviPet features are designed for public or selected-audience sharing, including breeder profiles, adoption listings, community posts and privacy-limited lost-pet safety profiles. The interface should identify information that will be public before it is published. Do not post private addresses, financial details, identity documents or confidential records in public fields.
A public tag scan should show only the information the current owner has selected for safe recovery. Public information may be copied or shared by other people outside CiviPet.
5. Pet and tag handovers
When a breeder starts a handover, we may receive the new owner’s email address or telephone number from the breeder so that we can send the requested invitation. We use that information to administer and secure the transfer, create an audit record and help the recipient access this Privacy Notice. We do not use the recipient’s details for unrelated marketing without an appropriate lawful basis.
After an accepted handover, eligible pet history may remain connected to the pet and become available to the new owner. The originating breeder may remain identified in lineage or litter history but should not retain access to the new owner’s private records unless separately authorised.
6. Who we share information with
We may share personal information with carefully selected service providers that support hosting, databases, authentication, email, customer support, analytics, maps, security, file storage and software operation. They may process information only under our instructions and contractual safeguards.
For website analytics, Google Analytics 4 receives technical and usage information only after analytics consent. Advertising storage, advertising personalisation and Google Signals are disabled in CiviPet’s website configuration.
We may also disclose information where required by law, to protect animal or human safety, to investigate fraud or abuse, to establish or defend legal claims, or in connection with a genuine sale or reorganisation of the CiviPet business. We do not sell personal information.
Information you deliberately publish or send to another user is shared with the audience or recipient you select. New owners who accept a handover receive the pet history included in that transfer.
7. International transfers
Some technology suppliers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where this happens, we use an applicable UK adequacy regulation or contractual safeguards such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, together with risk assessment and supplementary measures where required. You may contact us for more information about the relevant safeguard.
8. How long we keep information
| Record | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Unsuccessful or withdrawn Pioneer applications | 12 months after the decision or withdrawal, unless needed longer for a complaint or legal claim |
| Active account and programme records | For the life of the account and then normally up to 6 years where needed for disputes, contractual records or legal obligations |
| Pet history transferred to another owner | For as long as the receiving owner maintains the record or the platform needs it to provide the requested continuing history, subject to applicable rights |
| Community content | Until deleted, anonymised or no longer needed; identity may be minimised where content remains in an active thread |
| Support and feedback records | Normally 3 years after the enquiry closes |
| Security and technical logs | Normally up to 12 months, unless needed longer to investigate an incident, fraud or abuse |
| Backup copies | Deleted or overwritten through the normal backup cycle, with a maximum of 90 days after live deletion |
| Marketing preferences and suppression records | Until consent is withdrawn or an objection is received; a minimal suppression record may be retained to honour the opt-out |
These are our standard retention periods. We may keep information for a different period where law, safety, fraud prevention or a legal claim requires it, and we will delete or anonymise information when it is no longer needed.
9. Security
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information, including access controls, authentication, encrypted connections, database security rules, logging, backups and restricted administrative access. No online service can guarantee absolute security. Users must keep passwords and one-time handover credentials confidential and report suspected misuse promptly.
10. Your data-protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to ask for access to your personal information, correction, deletion, restriction, portability or an explanation of how it is used. You may also object to processing based on legitimate interests and withdraw consent at any time where processing relies on consent. Some rights are not absolute and exceptions may apply.
Your right to object: you have an absolute right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing. You can unsubscribe from a marketing message or contact privacy@civipet.com. This will not stop essential service messages about your account, security, applications or handovers.
We may ask for information needed to verify your identity before completing a rights request. We will normally respond within the period required by data-protection law.
11. Automated decisions and future AI features
The Pioneer application is not intended to be accepted or rejected solely by automated decision-making that has legal or similarly significant effects. If CiviPet later introduces AI-supported features, we will explain their purpose, important limitations and any material use of personal information before those features are used.
12. Children
The Pioneer Breeder Programme is for adults aged 18 or over. Applicants must not submit personal information about children. If we learn that a child has submitted an application, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.
13. Cookies and similar technologies
We use technologies needed to provide security, sign-in and core functionality. Google Analytics 4 loads only after a visitor accepts analytics, and the choice can be changed later through Cookie settings in the footer. Read the CiviPet Cookie Notice for details.
14. Complaints and contact
Please contact privacy@civipet.com first if you have a question or complaint about personal information. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk or by using the contact details published by the ICO.
15. Changes to this notice
We may update this notice when CiviPet’s features, suppliers or legal obligations change. We will publish the current version and notify users of material changes where appropriate.