Privacy Policy

Why this platform exists

Pet Patrol HQ is an India-focused pet care network. Injured street animals wait too long for help. Lost pets are hard to reunite. Clinics, NGOs, groomers, walkers, and shelters work in silos. We built one place so a pet parent, finder, or rescuer can report, book, scan a QR tag, and get the right organisation involved — on the web or on a phone.

We only collect data that makes those jobs work: who you are, which pet you care for, where a scan or rescue happened, and how to notify you.

1. Who we are

“Pet Patrol HQ”, “we”, and “us” means the operator of this website and the mobile apps (Android package com.petpatrolhq.mobile_app, iOS bundle com.petpatrolhq.mobileApp). Hosting is in India (Hostinger). Push delivery uses Google Firebase Cloud Messaging. Sign-in may use Google.

Questions and data requests: Contact form or codecartelllp@gmail.com.

2. Accounts and roles

You can use some guest tools (report an injured pet, scan a QR tag, browse directories). A registered account is required for pets, bookings, tags you own, and provider dashboards.

• Pet parent — pets, health records, bookings, lost & found, QR tags, rescue reports.
• Veterinary clinic — appointments, doctors, vaccinations, health records for patients.
• NGO / rescuer — nearby rescue offers, events, adoptions, community posts.
• Groomer / pet-care provider — services, bookings, earnings records.
• Shelter — animal roster, kennels, fosters, adoption applications.
• Admin — verify and approve organisations.

3. Information we collect

You give us

• Name, email, phone, password (stored hashed), Google account id if you use Google Sign-In.
• Pet profile: name, type, breed, age, photos, microchip, notes.
• Clinic data: visit notes, vaccinations, next-due dates, follow-up dates, guest visitor names.
• Bookings: vet, grooming, walking, sitting, boarding, daycare — pet, date, address notes, payment status.
• Rescue / lost & found: photos, location, contact numbers, sighting notes, rewards.
• QR tags: tag code, linked pet, scan GPS when a finder shares it.
• Organisation profile: legal/display name, address, hours, services, prices, verification files.
• Community: feed posts, playdates, messages, adoption applications.
• Support messages sent through Contact Us.

Device and automatic data

• IP address, browser or app version, pages/screens used.
• Precise location when you allow it — rescue routing, nearby directory, QR scan coordinates, lost-pet last seen.
• Camera / photos — injured-pet photos, pet profile, QR scan, verification docs.
• Push token (FCM) — so we can send scan, booking, vaccination, and rescue alerts to that phone. One account may have several device tokens.
• Session cookies on the website (login). The app stores a signed login token on the device.

4. Why we use it (purpose)

• Create your account and keep you signed in.
• Match an injured-animal report to nearby vets and NGOs.
• Tell a pet owner that their QR tag was scanned and where (if GPS was shared).
• Let clinics save records and remind you of vaccines and follow-ups.
• Complete grooming, pet-care, and vet bookings between you and the provider.
• Help lost-pet reports and adoptions reach the right people.
• Send in-app and push notifications you can control in phone settings.
• Detect abuse (fake reports, spam) and comply with Indian law (including the DPDP Act, 2023).

We do not sell personal data. We do not use your pet photos or health notes to train public AI models as a product. Optional AI tools (symptom checker, breed ID) are informational only — not a veterinary diagnosis.

5. Who we share with

• The provider you book — pet name, your contact, booking details.
• Nearby rescuers / clinics — what they need to accept a rescue (location, animal, photos, reporter contact).
• A finder who scans your public tag page — only the owner details you chose to show on that tag (for example a display phone).
• Google — Firebase Cloud Messaging; Google Sign-In if you choose it; Maps links when we open a scan location.
• Email delivery — transactional mail (bookings, resets) via our mail provider.
• Hostinger — stores the application and database.
• Payment processors if you pay for an optional product (for example a collar-tag order). We do not store full card numbers.
• Authorities when required by law or to protect a person or animal in an emergency.

6. Phone permissions

Android and iOS will ask before these are used. Denying a permission disables that feature only.

• Location — rescue reports, nearby helpers, QR scan map, lost-pet last seen. Never used for ads.
• Camera — photos of pets/injuries and scanning QR tags.
• Photos / media — choose an existing picture for a pet or report.
• Notifications — scan, booking, clinic, and rescue alerts, with sound when you allow it.
• Internet — load your account from petpatrolhq.com.

Full table: App permissions.

7. Retention

Account and pet data last while the account is open. Rescue and health records may be kept longer where a clinic, dispute, or law requires a history. Push tokens are removed on logout of that device or when the token is invalid. You can delete your own account at any time in the website (Profile) or the mobile app (Account & Settings), except admin logins. That closes the account immediately: we anonymise your login and remove pets, QR tags, and notifications. Clinic files and completed bookings may be kept without your name. If you cannot sign in, request deletion via Delete account & data; we complete those requests within 30 days.

8. Your rights (India DPDP and similar)

You may access, correct, or withdraw consent, and erase your account, from Profile / Account & Settings or via Delete account & data. You can also turn off notifications in the phone OS and stop location for the app in Settings.

9. Children

The apps and website are for people 18 years or older. We do not knowingly create accounts for children. If a minor’s data was submitted, contact us and we will delete it.

10. Security

Passwords are hashed. The live site uses HTTPS. Access to the database is limited to operators. No method is perfect; use a unique password.

11. Changes

We will post updates on this page and change the effective date. Material changes may also be emailed or shown in the app.

12. Cookies and app storage

The website uses a session cookie so you stay logged in while you browse. We do not use third-party advertising cookies. The mobile apps store a signed login token and, if you allow alerts, a Firebase push token on the device.

13. Where data is processed

Our application and database run in India (Hostinger). Google Sign-In and Firebase Cloud Messaging may process tokens and account identifiers on Google infrastructure, which can be outside India. By using those features you agree to that transfer for the purpose of login and notifications.

14. Advertising

We do not sell personal data. We do not use your location, photos, or health notes for third-party ads. Optional in-app or website promotions, if added later, will be first-party (Pet Patrol HQ or listed providers) unless this policy is updated.