Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use and protect your personal data when you use the HomeWagger website and app. It applies to www.[yourdomain].org.uk and any related services operated under the HomeWagger name.

1. Who we are

The HomeWagger platform is operated by:

  • HomeWagger Tech Ltd, a private limited company registered in England and Wales.
    Company number: [Tech Ltd company number]
    Registered office: [Tech Ltd registered office address]
  • HomeWagger CIC, a Community Interest Company registered in England and Wales.
    Company number: [CIC company number]
    Registered office: [CIC registered office address]

For most website and app activities, HomeWagger Tech Ltd is the data controller. For welfare, vetting and rehoming oversight, HomeWagger CIC may also act as a data controller. We work together under a data sharing agreement to protect your privacy and dog welfare.

If you have any questions about this notice, you can contact us at:
Email: [privacy@yourdomain.org.uk]

2. Personal data we collect

The information we collect depends on how you use HomeWagger. We may collect and process:

  • Account and profile data – name, email address, password or login identifiers, role type (adopter, rehomer, shelter, supporter), basic profile information and location (e.g. city/region).
  • Adoption and rehoming information – details you provide about your experience with dogs, home environment, lifestyle, preferences, and suitability for rehoming or adoption.
  • Listing data – information about dogs you list or view, including descriptions, age, breed, photos and suitability notes.
  • Communication data – messages sent through the platform, expressions of interest, and emails or support enquiries you send us.
  • Usage and technical data – IP address, device type, browser, app version, pages viewed, and interactions with our website and app.
  • Subscription and payment data – plan type, billing history and payment status. Card details are processed securely by our payment provider; we do not store your full card number.
  • Feedback – surveys, reviews, or feedback you choose to give about your experience.

3. How we use your data

We use your personal data to:

  • Provide and manage your account and let you log in securely.
  • Run the HomeWagger platform – including profiles, dog listings, matching, messaging and expressions of interest.
  • Support ethical, welfare-first rehoming by helping to match suitable homes and providing guidance and safeguards.
  • Maintain safety and integrity – prevent misuse, investigate concerns, and respond to reports of unsafe behaviour.
  • Improve our services – fix bugs, analyse usage patterns and develop new features.
  • Manage subscriptions and payments where you choose to upgrade to Pro features.
  • Communicate with you – for example, about important changes, security updates or responses to your enquiries.
  • Comply with our legal obligations, including record keeping and responding to lawful requests from authorities.

4. Our legal bases for using your data

Under UK data protection law (UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018) we must have a lawful basis for using your personal data. We rely on:

  • Contract – to provide you with the HomeWagger service you sign up for, including your account, listings and messaging.
  • Legitimate interests – to run, improve and protect our platform, to support animal welfare and user safety, and to promote responsible rehoming, where these interests are not overridden by your rights.
  • Legal obligation – where we must process data to meet legal or regulatory requirements.
  • Consent – for certain optional activities, such as some marketing communications or cookies. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

5. Who we share your data with

We may share your data with:

  • HomeWagger CIC – where needed to support welfare decisions, vetting and safeguarding, under a data sharing agreement.
  • Other users – for example, when a rehomer views your adopter profile or you send an expression of interest about a dog, in line with the platform’s rules and your settings.
  • Service providers – trusted companies who help us run our service (e.g. hosting, email, analytics, payment processing, customer support). They only process data on our instructions and must keep it secure.
  • Regulators, law enforcement or welfare bodies – where we are legally required to do so, or where we have serious welfare or safety concerns and it is lawful and necessary to share information.
  • Professional advisers – such as lawyers or accountants, where needed for governance and compliance.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

6. International data transfers

Some of our service providers may store or access data outside the UK. Where this happens, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or standard contractual clauses approved under UK data protection law.

7. How long we keep your data

We keep your personal data only for as long as is reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this notice, and to meet legal, accounting or reporting requirements. In general:

  • Account data is kept while your account is active and for a period afterwards (for example up to 6 years) for legal and record-keeping purposes.
  • Listings, messages and activity logs are retained in line with our safety and technical policies, which may vary depending on risk and legal obligations.
  • Payment records are retained in line with tax and financial rules.

We may anonymise data so it can no longer identify you and use it for statistics, research and service improvement.

8. Your rights

You have rights over your personal data, including the right to:

  • Access – to ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Erasure – to ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.
  • Restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
  • Objection – to object to our use of your data where we rely on legitimate interests.
  • Portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format and transfer it to another provider.

Some rights may be limited where we have overriding legal obligations or strong legitimate grounds (for example, safety, fraud prevention or safeguarding). To exercise your rights, please contact us at [privacy@yourdomain.org.uk].

9. Cookies and similar technologies

Our website and app may use cookies and similar technologies to remember your preferences, keep you logged in and understand how our services are used. Where required, we will ask for your consent before setting non-essential cookies. For more information, please see our separate Cookie Policy.

10. Contact and complaints

If you have any questions or concerns about how we handle your personal data, please contact us at: [privacy@yourdomain.org.uk].

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with our response. You can find details at ico.org.uk.

11. Changes to this notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. We will post the latest version on this page and update the “last updated” date below.

Last updated: [DD Month YYYY]

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