Who we are

AnimalHospitalClinic.com (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is a veterinary directory and pet health information website operating at www.animalhospitalclinic.com. For privacy purposes, we are the data controller for information collected through this site.

What information we collect

Information you provide directly

• Contact form submissions: name, email address, and the content of your message
• Newsletter sign-ups: email address
• Comments: name, email address, and the content of your comment (email is not displayed publicly)
• Directory submissions: clinic name, address, phone number, email, and service information for practitioners submitting their own listing
• Account registration: name, email, and password if you create an account

Information collected automatically

• Log data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, and time and date of visit
• Analytics data: page views, session duration, bounce rate, and general geographic location (country/region level), collected via Google Analytics or similar tools
• Cookies: see the Cookies section below for full details

Information we do not collect

We do not collect sensitive personal data including racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, health data relating to you (as opposed to your pet), genetic data, biometric data, or financial account information. Payment processing for any paid services is handled entirely by third-party processors; we do not store payment card details.

How we use your information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To respond to enquiries: emails and contact form submissions are used solely to respond to your message
• To send newsletters: if you subscribe, we send periodic email updates; you can unsubscribe at any time
• To publish comments: your name (not email) is displayed with your comment if approved
• To maintain and improve the site: analytics data helps us understand how the site is used and where we can improve it
• To manage directory listings: contact information provided by clinics is used to maintain and display their listing
• To prevent abuse: log data is used to detect and block spam, fraud, and malicious activity
• To comply with legal obligations: where required by law

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or significant effects on you.

Cookies & tracking

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit our site. We use the following categories of cookies:

Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies are required for the site to function. They cannot be disabled. They include cookies that manage your session, remember your login state, and enable core site features. No personal data is transmitted for marketing purposes through these cookies.

Analytics cookies

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site. Google Analytics collects anonymised data about pages visited, time spent, and general geographic location. IP addresses are anonymised before storage. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Preference cookies

These cookies remember your preferences (such as cookie consent choices) to improve your experience. They do not track you across other sites.

Advertising cookies

If we display advertising (via Google AdSense or similar), advertising cookies may be set by those third parties. These cookies track browsing behaviour across sites to serve relevant ads. You can manage these preferences through your browser settings or via the Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out tool.

Managing cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect site functionality. Our cookie consent banner, shown on your first visit, allows you to accept or decline non-essential cookies.

Sharing your information

We share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service providers: we use third-party providers for email delivery (Mailchimp or similar), analytics (Google Analytics), hosting (cloud provider), and payment processing. These providers process data on our behalf under data processing agreements.
• Legal requirements: we may disclose information where required by law, court order, or regulatory authority.
• Business transfer: in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user data may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will provide notice before data is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal data with third parties for their marketing purposes.

Your rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: you can request correction of inaccurate data
• Deletion: you can request deletion of your personal data, subject to certain legal exceptions
• Objection: you can object to certain processing of your data
• Portability: you can request your data in a machine-readable format
• Withdrawal of consent: where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw consent at any time

California residents (CCPA): California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, including the right to know what personal information is collected and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your rights, contact us using the details below.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us via our Contact page with “Privacy Request” in the subject line. We will respond within 30 days.

Data retention

• Contact form data: retained for 24 months or until you request deletion
• Newsletter email addresses: retained until you unsubscribe
• Comments: retained indefinitely unless you request deletion
• Analytics data: retained for 26 months (Google Analytics default)
• Server logs: retained for 90 days

Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. These include HTTPS encryption, access controls, and regular security reviews. However, no internet transmission is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children’s privacy

This site is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has submitted personal data to us, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we will provide more prominent notice. Continued use of the site following changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact us

For privacy-related questions, data requests, or concerns, please contact us via our Contact page with “Privacy” in the subject line. We aim to respond within 5 business days.