Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Petside ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our pet community platform (the "Service").

Petside is operated by Ascend Leads, LLC, Philadelphia, PA.

By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: Email address, password (encrypted), and account preferences.
• Profile Information: Display name, location (city/state), profile photo, and biography.
• Pet Information: Pet names, species, breeds, ages, photos, health information, and personality descriptions.
• Communications: Messages sent through our platform between users.
• Payment Information: When you subscribe to our premium service, payment information is processed securely by our payment provider (Stripe). We do not store your full credit card details.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on pages, and interaction patterns.
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device type, and screen resolution.
• Location Data: Approximate location based on IP address (we do not collect precise GPS location without consent).
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: See our Cookie Policy section below.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our Service
• Create and manage your account
• Facilitate pet adoption matching and playdates connections
• Process transactions and send related information
• Send administrative messages, updates, and security alerts
• Respond to your comments, questions, and requests
• Monitor and analyze trends, usage, and activities
• Detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, and security issues
• Personalize and improve your experience
• Comply with legal obligations

4. Information Sharing

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• With Other Users: Your profile information, pet profiles, and messages are shared with other users as part of the Service's core functionality.
• Service Providers: We share information with third-party vendors who perform services on our behalf (e.g., hosting, payment processing, email delivery, analytics).
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request.
• Protection of Rights: We may disclose information to protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property, or that of our users or the public.
• Business Transfers: In connection with any merger, acquisition, or sale of company assets, your information may be transferred.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest
• Secure password hashing
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Access controls and authentication requirements
• Row-level security policies in our database

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

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

6.1 Access and Portability

You can access your personal information through your account settings. You may request a copy of your data in a portable format.

6.2 Correction

You can update or correct your profile information through your account settings.

6.3 Deletion

You can request deletion of your account and associated personal information by contacting us at privacy@pet-side.com. Please note that some information may be retained for legal or legitimate business purposes.

6.4 Marketing Communications

You can opt out of marketing communications by following the unsubscribe instructions in our emails or adjusting your notification settings in your account.

6.5 Do Not Track

We respect Do Not Track (DNT) browser signals. When we detect a DNT signal, we disable non-essential analytics tracking.

7. Cookie Policy

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the Service to function properly (authentication, security, preferences).
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our Service (can be disabled via consent banner).
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences.

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

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our Service. We may also retain and use your information to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

After account deletion, we may retain certain information for up to 90 days for backup and recovery purposes, after which it will be permanently deleted.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@pet-side.com.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have data protection laws that are different from the laws of your country. We take appropriate safeguards to ensure your personal information remains protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

11. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act:

• Right to know what personal information is collected
• Right to know if personal information is sold or disclosed
• Right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell your data)
• Right to request deletion of personal information
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights

12. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have additional rights under the GDPR:

• Right to access your personal data
• Right to rectification of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to object to processing
• Right to withdraw consent

To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@pet-side.com.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. For significant changes, we will provide additional notice (such as an email notification).

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

14. Contact Us

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