Privacy Policy

1 Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Data You Provide

We collect personal data that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Register for an account
• Create or edit listings
• Make a purchase or payment
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Contact us with enquiries or feedback
• Participate in surveys or promotions

This information may include:

• Identity Data: First name, last name, username, title
• Contact Data: Email address, telephone number, postal address
• Account Data: Username, password, account preferences
• Profile Data: Breeder information, kennel name, biography, photographs
• Financial Data: Payment card details (processed securely by our payment provider)
• Transaction Data: Details of purchases and payments
• Listing Data: Information about animals you list, including photographs, descriptions, pricing, and pedigree information
• Communications Data: Your correspondence with us and other users

1.2 Data Collected Automatically

When you access our Service, we automatically collect certain information, including:

• Technical Data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, screen resolution
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, click patterns, navigation paths, search queries
• Location Data: General geographic location based on IP address
• Referral Data: The website that referred you to us

1.3 Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect and store information. Cookies are small data files placed on your device. We use:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the Service to function (e.g., session management, security)
• Analytical Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our Service (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings
• Marketing Cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements (if applicable)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the Service.

1.4 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third parties, including:

• Payment processors (transaction confirmations)
• Social media platforms (if you link your account)
• Other users (if they provide your contact details)
• Publicly available sources

2 How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data for the following purposes and legal bases:

2.1 Performance of Contract

To perform our contract with you, we use your data to:

• Create and manage your account
• Process your membership and payments
• Enable you to create and manage listings
• Facilitate communications between buyers and sellers
• Provide customer support

2.2 Legitimate Interests

Where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests, we use your data to:

• Improve and develop our Service
• Analyse usage patterns and trends
• Personalise your experience
• Prevent fraud and ensure security
• Enforce our Terms and Conditions
• Send service-related communications
• Administer and protect our business and website

2.3 Consent

Where you have given consent, we use your data to:

• Send marketing communications and newsletters
• Use certain cookies and tracking technologies
• Share your information for specific purposes you have agreed to

You can withdraw consent at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe link in our emails.

2.4 Legal Obligations

To comply with our legal obligations, we may use your data to:

• Respond to lawful requests from public authorities
• Comply with tax and accounting requirements
• Cooperate with law enforcement investigations
• Establish, exercise, or defend legal claims

3 Information Sharing and Disclosure

3.1 Public Information

Certain information you provide will be publicly visible on the Service, including:

• Your breeder name or kennel name
• Your general location (county/region)
• Contact details you choose to display (phone number, email)
• Your listings and photographs
• Your public profile information

Please be aware that any information you make public can be viewed by anyone visiting the website.

3.2 Service Providers

We may share your data with trusted third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, including:

• Hosting Providers: Microsoft Azure (cloud hosting and database services)
• Payment Processors: PayPal (payment processing)
• Email Services: SendGrid (transactional emails)
• Analytics: Google Analytics (website analytics)
• Image Processing: Tinify (image compression)

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the purposes we specify.

3.3 Other Users

When you create a listing or profile, other users can view and contact you. Information shared directly between users is subject to the privacy practices of those individuals.

3.4 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court or government agency), including to:

• Comply with a legal obligation
• Protect and defend our rights or property
• Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing
• Protect the personal safety of users or the public
• Protect against legal liability

3.5 Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any change in ownership or uses of your personal data.

3.6 With Your Consent

We may share your information with third parties when you have given us explicit consent to do so.

4 International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to, and processed in, countries other than the country in which you reside. These countries may have data protection laws that are different from the laws of your country.

Where we transfer personal data outside the UK or European Economic Area, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

• Transfers to countries with adequate data protection (as determined by the UK government)
• Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the relevant authorities
• Other lawful transfer mechanisms

Our primary hosting infrastructure is provided by Microsoft Azure, which maintains data centres in various locations. We endeavour to store UK user data within UK or EU data centres where possible.

5 Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

To determine the appropriate retention period, we consider:

• The amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data
• The potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure
• The purposes for which we process the data
• Whether we can achieve those purposes through other means
• Applicable legal requirements

General retention periods:

• Account Data: Retained while your account is active, plus 6 years after account closure
• Listing Data: Retained while listings are active, deleted upon your request or account closure
• Transaction Data: Retained for 7 years for tax and accounting purposes
• Marketing Preferences: Retained until you withdraw consent
• Technical/Usage Data: Generally retained for up to 26 months

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it.

6 Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure, or access. These measures include:

• Encryption: Data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using SSL/TLS
• Secure Infrastructure: Our servers are hosted on Microsoft Azure with enterprise-grade security
• Access Controls: Access to personal data is restricted to authorised personnel only
• Password Protection: User passwords are hashed and salted using industry-standard algorithms
• Regular Updates: We regularly update our software and security measures
• Payment Security: Payment card details are processed by PCI-compliant payment providers

While we strive to protect your personal data, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

You are responsible for keeping your account credentials confidential and for any activity that occurs under your account.

7 Your Data Protection Rights

You have the following rights under data protection law:

7.1 Right of Access

You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (commonly known as a "subject access request"). This allows you to receive a copy of your personal data and check that we are lawfully processing it.

7.2 Right to Rectification

You have the right to request correction of any inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you. You can update most of your information directly through your account settings.

7.3 Right to Erasure

You have the right to request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances, including when:

• The data is no longer necessary for the purposes it was collected
• You withdraw consent (where consent was the legal basis)
• You object to processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds
• The data has been unlawfully processed

Note: We may need to retain certain information for legal or legitimate business purposes.

7.4 Right to Restrict Processing

You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances, such as when you contest the accuracy of the data or object to our processing.

7.5 Right to Data Portability

You have the right to request that we transfer your personal data to you or another organisation in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format, where technically feasible.

7.6 Right to Object

You have the right to object to processing of your personal data where we are relying on legitimate interests (or those of a third party). You also have the absolute right to object to direct marketing at any time.

7.7 Rights Related to Automated Decision-Making

You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you.

7.8 Right to Withdraw Consent

Where we rely on your consent to process your personal data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

7.9 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 12. We will respond to your request within one month. There is no fee for most requests, but we may charge a reasonable fee or refuse to comply with requests that are manifestly unfounded or excessive.

We may need to request specific information from you to verify your identity before responding to your request.

8 Marketing Communications

8.1 Marketing Preferences

We may send you marketing communications about our services, features, and promotions if you have:

• Opted in to receive marketing communications
• Purchased a membership and not opted out (soft opt-in)

8.2 Opting Out

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by:

• Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email
• Updating your preferences in your account settings
• Contacting us directly

Please note that even if you opt out of marketing communications, we may still send you service-related messages (e.g., account notifications, payment confirmations, security alerts).

8.3 Third-Party Marketing

We will not share your personal data with third parties for their own marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

9 Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately.

If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child under 18 without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information.

10 Third-Party Links and Services

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites, services, or applications that are not operated by us. These include:

• Social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram)
• Payment processors
• External websites linked by our users

We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of every site you visit.

This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected through our Service.

11 Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.

When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• For significant changes, we will provide prominent notice (e.g., email notification or notice on our website)
• We will obtain consent for material changes where required by law

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Your continued use of the Service after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes acceptance of those changes.

12 Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data protection rights, or have concerns about how we handle your personal data, please contact us:

We aim to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally, it may take longer if your request is particularly complex or you have made multiple requests.

13 Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

The supervisory authority in the UK is the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

We would, however, appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns before you approach the ICO, so please contact us first.

14 Specific Processing Activities

14.1 Account Registration

When you register, we collect your name, email, address, and phone number. This information is necessary to create your account and provide our services. Your email and password are used for authentication.

14.2 Creating Listings

When you create a listing, the information you provide (including photographs, descriptions, and contact details) is published on our website and is publicly accessible. This is necessary to enable potential buyers to find and contact you.

14.3 Payment Processing

Payment information is collected and processed securely by our third-party payment providers (PayPal). We receive confirmation of successful payments but do not store your complete payment card details on our servers.

14.4 Contact Forms and Enquiries

When you contact a breeder or submit an enquiry, your message and contact details are shared with the relevant party to facilitate communication. We may retain copies of communications for our records.

14.5 Newsletter Subscription

If you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your email address to send you updates and marketing communications. You can unsubscribe at any time.