Privacy Policy

Last updated: 3 March 2026

West Thorn Waggers ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our pet care services.

1. Information We Collect

Personal Information

We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide, including:

Name and contact details (phone number, email address, postal address)
Pet information (name, breed, age, medical conditions, behavioral notes)
Emergency contact information
Veterinary contact details
Payment information (processed securely through third-party providers)

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information, including:

IP address and browser information
Website usage data and analytics
Cookies and similar tracking technologies

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To provide and maintain our pet care services
To communicate with you about appointments and services
To respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
To ensure the safety and wellbeing of your pets
To process payments and manage billing
To improve our website and services
To comply with legal obligations

3. Legal Basis for Processing (UK GDPR)

Under UK GDPR, we process your personal data on the following legal bases:

Contract: To perform our pet care services agreement with you
Legitimate interests: To improve our services and communicate about them
Consent: For marketing communications (where required)
Legal obligation: To comply with applicable laws and regulations

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties, except:

With your explicit consent
To veterinarians or emergency services when necessary for your pet's health
To trusted service providers who assist in operating our business
When required by law or to protect our rights

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, typically for the duration of our service relationship and up to 7 years afterward for legal and accounting purposes.

6. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Right of access: Request copies of your personal data
Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
Right to erasure: Request deletion of your data
Right to restrict processing: Request limitation of data use
Right to data portability: Request transfer of your data
Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details below.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

8. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn that we have collected information from a child under 16, we will delete it promptly.

9. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of any significant changes by updating the "Last updated" date on this page.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Email: jess@westthornwaggers.com
Phone: 07532 329829
Address: Ponteland, NE20