Privacy Policy

• Account information. When you sign in with Google, Apple or email, we receive your email address and, from Google or Apple, the name and profile picture linked to that account. If you use email, you also set a password, which is handled by our authentication provider and never visible to us.
• Profile. Display name, optional profile photo, home city and your preferred search radius.
• Dog profiles. Your dog's name, and optionally size, age group, temperament, notes, photos and Dog ID care details (distinguishing marks, care instructions, medical/allergy notes, microchip, vet and emergency contact).
• PupDates. Reports you post about a place (for example "Quiet now" or a hazard), the place, the time, any note you add, and its status.
• Confirmations. When you tap "Still true" or "No longer true", we store your vote on that PupDate.
• Reviews and ratings you write for places.
• Saved places (favourites).
• Location issue reports you send about a place.

PupDate uses your device location only after you allow it in your browser or device settings. You can withdraw permission at any time. We use location in two distinct ways:

A. Temporary location for maps, nearby places and proximity checks. When the app is open, your location is used on your device to centre the map, show distances and list places within your chosen radius. When you post certain safety PupDates or confirm a PupDate, your current coordinates and their accuracy are sent to our servers so we can check you are actually near that place. These coordinates are used for that check and are not stored with your report or vote. PupDate does not track your location in the background or when the app is closed.

B. GPS recorded during an active Walk Mode session. Only when you start a walk, PupDate records GPS points (position, accuracy and time) while the walk is running. Recording stops when you pause or end the walk. If you are signed in, these points are sent to our servers so distance can be verified for PupPoints. Guest walks stay on your device only and are not sent to us.

Walk GPS retention. Detailed GPS points from completed walks are automatically deleted by a daily cleanup about 30 days after the walk. A short summary is kept (date, duration, verified distance, points earned and status) so your activity history and points remain accurate. If a walk is held for review because of unusual GPS data, its detailed points are kept until the review is resolved and may then be deleted under the same schedule.

• PupPoints. We keep a permanent history of points earned, adjusted or spent, with the reason (for example a verified walk or a new connection). This history is never edited; corrections are recorded as new entries.
• Rewards. When you redeem a reward we record the reward, points spent, status and fulfilment details needed to deliver it.
• PupCode. Each account receives a permanent PupCode generated by our servers. It does not contain your email, phone or account ID.
• Connections. When you connect with another member we store the connection and its status. Before connecting, other members see only your first name and your dogs' names — never your email, phone or location.

• Usage events. We record in-app actions (for example opening a place, saving a place, posting a PupDate or signing in), with a random session identifier, the time and whether you were a guest or signed in. We use this to improve PupDate and detect abuse.
• Technical information. Our hosting and infrastructure providers process standard technical data such as IP address, browser type and request logs in order to deliver the service and keep it secure.
• Local storage. PupDate stores small items in your browser's local storage: your sign-in session, your chosen radius, onboarding progress, dismissed prompts and, for guests, a random session ID. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party ad trackers.
• Guest sessions. If you post a PupDate without an account, a temporary anonymous session is created so your report can be saved and checked for spam.

PupDate may show local dog-related businesses near a place. If you call, visit a website or go to an address from these listings, you leave PupDate and that business's own privacy practices apply. We do not share your personal information with these businesses.

• To run PupDate: maps, nearby places, PupDates, reviews, saved places, Walk Mode, PupPoints, Rewards and connections.
• To verify activity fairly: proximity checks, server-side walk distance and GPS plausibility checks, daily earning limits.
• To prevent spam, fraud and abuse, including rate limits on reports and votes and review of unusual walks.
• To understand how PupDate is used and improve it.
• To communicate with you about your account (for example sign-in and password emails).

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for third-party advertising.

• PupDates, vote counts and reviews are visible to everyone using PupDate. PupDates are shown as from a "Local dog owner", not with your name or email.
• Your individual "Still true / No longer true" votes are visible only to you (and administrators).
• Your profile, dogs, walks, points history and redemptions are private to you and PupDate administrators, except the first name and dog names shown to people you connect with.
• Dog ID. If you publish a Dog ID, anyone with its link, QR code or NFC tag can see your dog's name, profile photo and only the extra details you turn on (for example breed, about, care instructions). Medical notes, microchip, vet and emergency contact details are private unless you switch them on. Your email, address and location are never shown. You can unpublish the profile or disable a tag at any time; deleting a dog disables its tags. Pages or images other people already saved, or that link-preview services cached, may persist after you unpublish.

We use trusted providers to host the app, store data, handle sign-in and send account emails. Sign-in with Google or Apple is handled by those companies under their own privacy policies. These providers may process data outside Canada, including in the United States, where it may be subject to local laws.

Main infrastructure provider and data region: [OWNER REVIEW REQUIRED: confirm hosting providers and data storage region]

Access to your data is restricted by account-level access rules on our database, and sensitive actions (points, rewards, connections, walk verification) run only on our servers rather than in the app. No system is perfectly secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

• Detailed walk GPS: deleted about 30 days after a completed walk (see section 2).
• PupDates expire from live view automatically, but the records are kept for safety, moderation and history.
• Account, profile, dog, points, rewards and connection records: kept while your account is active.
• Other retention periods: [OWNER REVIEW REQUIRED: confirm retention for usage events and records after account deletion]

You can edit your profile and dog profiles in the app, turn off location in your device settings, and stop using Walk Mode at any time. Under Canadian privacy law (including PIPEDA and, where applicable, Quebec's Law 25) you may ask to access or correct your personal information, withdraw consent, or ask us to delete your account and associated data. Some records may be kept where needed to prevent fraud or meet legal obligations.

To make a request, contact us at [OWNER REVIEW REQUIRED: privacy contact email]. You may also complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

PupDate is not intended for children. You must be at least [OWNER REVIEW REQUIRED: minimum age, e.g. 13 or 16] to use PupDate, and Rewards may require you to be the age of majority in your province. We do not knowingly collect information from children under that age.

We may update this policy as PupDate changes. We will update the date above and, for significant changes, let you know in the app.

Privacy questions: [OWNER REVIEW REQUIRED: privacy contact email]
Mailing address: [OWNER REVIEW REQUIRED: business mailing address]
Privacy officer: [OWNER REVIEW REQUIRED: name or title of person responsible]