Legal notices
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Last Updated: September 2, 2025
This Privacy Policy describes how Pet Care Hubs (“we” or “us”) collects, uses, and discloses your personal data when you use the Pet Care Hubs website, and explains your privacy rights and how the law protects you. In this policy, “personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual (for example, a name, identification number, location data, or other factors specific to your identity). By using our website or submitting information, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
Data Controller Information
Pet Care Hubs is the organization operating this website and, for purposes of UK and EU data protection law, acts as the Data Controller (the entity which determines the purposes and means of processing your personal data). Pet Care Hubs is based in the United Kingdom and can be contacted as outlined in the Contact Information section below. We have not appointed a formal Data Protection Officer (as we are not legally required to), but you may direct any privacy-related inquiries or requests to us using the contact details provided.
Personal Data We Collect and Lawful Basis for Processing
We collect personal data from you in several ways, as outlined below, and we always ensure we have a lawful basis under the GDPR/UK GDPR for each type of processing:
Job Applications: When you apply for a job through our site, we collect personal details such as your name, email address, phone number, and any information you include in your application (e.g. your CV or cover letter). Lawful basis: We process this data to take steps at your request prior to entering into a potential employment contract and based on our legitimate interest in recruiting and evaluating candidates. If required by law (e.g. for equal opportunities monitoring), we may also process certain data under a legal obligation basis.
“Pet of the Week” Contest Entries: If you submit an entry for our Pet of the Week competition, we collect your name and contact details (such as email or phone) and any content you provide about your pet (for example, your pet’s name, story, or photo). Lawful basis: We rely on your consent – by entering, you consent to our use of your submission for the contest. We also have a legitimate interest in using this data to administer the contest (e.g. to select a winner and contact them, and to feature the winning pet as agreed).
Surveys and Forms: When you fill out surveys, feedback forms, or other forms on our site, we collect the information you choose to provide. This may include your opinions/feedback and, in some cases, your name or contact information (if you provide it in the form). Lawful basis: Where surveys or forms are voluntary, we treat your submission as consent to process the data for the stated purpose. In some cases, we may also rely on our legitimate interests in improving our services and user experience to process anonymized or aggregated survey data.
WhatsApp Community Registrations: If you register to join our Pet Care Hubs WhatsApp community, we will collect your name, your WhatsApp phone number, your email address, and your postcode (to understand our community’s regional distribution). Lawful basis: We collect and use this information with your consent, in order to add you to the WhatsApp community and send you updates or communications via WhatsApp as requested. (Please note that using our WhatsApp community is voluntary and you can withdraw from it at any time – see Your Rights below regarding withdrawing consent.)
In addition to the specific data you provide in the contexts above, we may also collect certain information automatically when you visit our website, through the use of cookies and similar technologies (see Cookies and Tracking Technologies below for details). This may include technical data like your IP address, browser type, and browsing actions on our site. We process such data based on our legitimate interest in maintaining the security and functionality of our website and understanding how users interact with it.
Legal Bases: Under the GDPR, we will only process your personal data when we have a valid legal basis to do so. Depending on the context, the bases we rely on include: consent, performance of a contract or steps prior to entering a contract, compliance with a legal obligation, and legitimate interests (for example, our legitimate interest in administering our services or improving our offerings). We ensure that we assess and balance any legitimate interests against your rights and expectations. Where we rely on your consent, you have the right to withdraw consent at any time (without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal).
How We Use Your Personal Data
We use the collected personal data for the following purposes:
To process and respond to your requests or applications: For example, we use your details to review your job applications and correspond with you about them, to administer the Pet of the Week competition (e.g. to select and notify winners), and to respond to any inquiries or feedback you submit via forms or surveys.
To provide and improve our services: We use data to operate and personalize our website’s features, to maintain the functionality and security of the site, and to develop new features or offerings. For instance, we may use survey feedback to improve our content or services, and analyze usage data to troubleshoot performance issues or enhance user experience. We may also use your information for internal analytics and trend analysis in order to understand how our site is used and how effective our outreach is, which helps us improve the website and our offerings.
To communicate with you: We use contact information you provide (email or phone number) to communicate with you for the purposes you have requested. This includes contacting you about your job application status, sending confirmations or results for contest entries, or adding you to our WhatsApp community and sending you community updates. If you join the WhatsApp community, we will use your phone number to send group announcements or updates via WhatsApp. (Note: WhatsApp is a third-party messaging service – see Data Sharing and Third-Party Processors below – and you can leave the group or ask us to remove you at any time.)
To comply with legal or regulatory obligations: In certain cases we may need to process your data to fulfill our legal obligations, such as retaining records for tax or employment law purposes, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.
We will not use your personal data for any purpose that is incompatible with the purposes outlined above. If we intend to process your data for a new purpose, we will update this Privacy Policy and, if required, seek your consent or inform you of the new legal basis.
Data Sharing and Third-Party Processors
We treat your personal data with care and confidentiality. We do not sell your personal information to third parties for their own marketing or any other purposes. However, we do share certain data with third parties in the following circumstances, in accordance with applicable data protection laws:
Service Providers: We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf and under our instructions (so-called data processors). This includes, for example, companies that provide website hosting, data storage, email delivery, analytics, or form processing services. These service providers only have access to the personal data necessary to perform their functions and are contractually required to protect your data and use it only for our specified purposes. For instance, we use analytics providers to monitor and analyze website usage, and such providers (acting as our processors) will process data only as we direct. We may also use third-party platforms to collect form or survey responses; in such cases, those platforms process your data on our behalf.
WhatsApp (Meta Platforms): If you join our WhatsApp community, your phone number and any information you share with us for that purpose will be used to add you to our WhatsApp group or contact list. This means your information will be shared with WhatsApp’s services (owned by Meta Platforms, Inc.) as necessary to deliver the messages. WhatsApp operates globally, so your use of the WhatsApp group is also subject to WhatsApp’s own privacy policy. We advise you to review WhatsApp’s privacy terms, as WhatsApp (as a data controller for its service) will process your phone number and any group communications according to its policies. We will not share your contact details with any other members of the community beyond what is inherent in the WhatsApp group setting (note that in a WhatsApp group, members may see each other’s phone numbers by default).
Business Transfers: If Pet Care Hubs is ever involved in a merger, acquisition, sale of assets or other business transaction, personal data held by us may be transferred to the acquiring or successor entity as part of that transaction. In such an event, we would ensure the recipient continues to be bound by privacy obligations consistent with this policy and applicable law, and we would notify you of any change in data control if required.
Legal Compliance and Protection: We may disclose personal data when required to do so by law or when we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to comply with a legal obligation (for example, responding to court orders, subpoenas, or requests from regulatory authorities). We may also share information if we believe it is necessary to investigate or enforce our terms and conditions, to protect our rights, property or safety, or those of our users or others (for example, to prevent fraud or security incidents). In all cases, we will only disclose the minimum amount of data necessary.
With Your Consent: In cases where you have explicitly given consent for us to share your data with third parties, we will do so as per the terms of your consent. For example, if the Pet of the Week competition involves publicly announcing the winner, we would only publish your name or other details if you have agreed to such publicity. If we ever seek to share your data for a purpose not covered by this policy, we will obtain your consent beforehand.
Whenever we share data with service providers or other third parties, we remain responsible for protecting your personal data. We require all external parties who handle personal data on our behalf to implement appropriate security measures and to process data in compliance with GDPR and UK data protection law. They are not permitted to use your data for their own purposes. Apart from the scenarios described above, we will not disclose your personal information to any third party unless you direct us to or we are legally obligated to do so.
International Data Transfers
Pet Care Hubs primarily stores and processes personal data within the UK or the European Economic Area (EEA). However, some of our third-party service providers or partners may be located in, or may store data in, countries outside the UK and EEA. For example, we may use a cloud service or analytics provider (such as Google Analytics) that operates servers in the United States or other jurisdictions. This means your personal data could be transferred to or accessed from a country with data protection laws that differ from those in your home country.
When we transfer personal data outside of the UK/EEA, we take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with GDPR requirements. These safeguards may include:
Adequacy Decisions: In some cases, the European Commission (or UK authorities) has determined that the laws of a country provide an adequate level of data protection (for example, transfers to countries in the EEA or those officially deemed “adequate”). In such cases, your personal data may be transferred on the basis of that adequacy decision.
Standard Contractual Clauses: Where we transfer data to a country without an adequacy decision (such as the United States), we will typically use EU-approved Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or the UK International Data Transfer Agreement/Addendum, as applicable, as part of our contract with the recipient. These are standard legal clauses that contractually require the recipient to protect your data to GDPR standards.
Other Safeguards: We may rely on other permitted data transfer mechanisms where appropriate, such as binding corporate rules (if applicable) or a specific exception under data protection law (only in special circumstances).
We also ensure that any third parties receiving the data commit to maintaining robust privacy and security standards. No transfer of your personal data will take place to an organization or a country unless adequate controls are in place to protect your information. You can contact us if you would like more information about international data transfers or the safeguards used (for example, to request a copy of the relevant contractual safeguards).
Data Retention
We will retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. In other words, we keep your information for no longer than required for the specific purposes and lawful bases explained in this policy (or as required by law), and we will either securely delete or anonymize your data when it is no longer needed. If we cannot specify a fixed retention period for certain data, we will determine the retention duration based on criteria such as the minimum amount of time necessary to achieve the purposes of collection, the nature and sensitivity of the data, and our legal obligations. Below is an overview of how long we typically retain data in key contexts:
Job Applications: If you apply for a job and are unsuccessful (and do not become our employee), we will normally retain your application data for a short period after the recruitment process ends. This is usually no more than 6 months, to allow us to respond to any follow-up inquiries, consider you for any suitable future vacancies (if you have consented to this), or as needed to defend against legal claims. We may retain de-personalized statistical information about the hiring process (e.g. number of applicants) for longer, but not in a form that identifies you.
Pet of the Week Contest Entries: Personal information collected for a contest (such as your contact details and pet entry) will be retained for the duration of the competition and a reasonable period thereafter. Typically, we keep contest entries for a short time (for example, 1 year) after the contest ends. This allows us to address any questions or issues about the contest and, if you won, to showcase the results (with your consent). After that period, we will delete or anonymize the personal data from contest entries. If any contest-related content (like the winning pet’s photo and owner’s first name) is published on our site or social media, it may remain publicly available until we remove it according to our website content policies, but we will not retain more of your personal info than necessary for that purpose.
Surveys and Forms: Data collected from surveys or general forms will be retained for as long as needed to fulfill the purpose of the survey/form. For instance, if you provided feedback, we will keep your responses until we have analyzed them and incorporated the feedback into improvements. If survey responses are recorded anonymously (with no direct identifiers), we may keep the aggregated results indefinitely. Where survey responses include personal identifiers, we will either anonymize those responses after analysis or delete the personal data within a reasonable time (generally within 12 months unless a longer period is justified).
WhatsApp Community: If you join our WhatsApp community, we will keep your registration details (name, phone, email, postcode) for as long as you remain a member of the community so that we can continue to include you in group communications. If you decide to leave the community or ask to be removed, we will promptly delete or suppress your contact information from our community list. We may retain minimal information (e.g. your email or phone in a suppression list) as necessary to ensure we honor your opt-out (so we don’t accidentally re-add you) or as required for legal compliance, but we will not use it for any other purpose.
In all cases, even if you don’t make a specific deletion request, we will not keep personal data longer than we reasonably need to. We periodically review the data we hold and erase or anonymize personal data that is no longer required for any legitimate purpose. We also comply with applicable legal requirements that mandate certain records be kept for specific periods (for example, finance or employment laws may require some records to be kept for a minimum time). When we delete personal data, we ensure it is removed from our active systems and backups securely. If full deletion is not immediately feasible (e.g., stored in secure backups), we will ensure the data is isolated and protected until deletion is possible.
Your Rights Under GDPR and UK Data Protection Law
As a user of our website and as a data subject under GDPR and UK data protection laws, you have certain rights regarding your personal data. We respect your rights and have processes in place to enable you to exercise them. Your rights include:
Right of Access: You have the right to request confirmation of whether we are processing your personal data, and if so, to access that data. We will provide you with a copy of your personal data undergoing processing, along with information about how we use it, who we share it with, how long we keep it, etc., as required by law. The first copy will be provided free of charge, but we may charge a reasonable fee for additional copies or excessive requests.
Right to Rectification: If any of your personal data that we hold is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to request that we correct or update it. Upon your request, we will rectify any incorrect or incomplete information about you to ensure accuracy and completeness.
Right to Erasure: You have the right to request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances – for example, if the data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, you withdraw consent (and no other legal basis applies), or you object to processing and we have no overriding legitimate grounds to continue. This is also known as the “right to be forgotten.” Please note that this right is not absolute; sometimes we must retain certain information to comply with legal obligations or establish/exercise our legal claims. However, we will always assess and comply with such requests in line with applicable law.
Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to suspend or restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations. For example, if you contest the accuracy of your data, you can request we restrict processing while we verify the information; or if you object to our processing based on legitimate interests, you may request restriction while we consider your objection. When processing is restricted, we will still store your data but not use it further until the restriction is lifted (unless for legal reasons).
Right to Object: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data when such processing is based on our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and you feel it impacts your fundamental rights and freedoms. You can also object at any time to any processing of your data for direct marketing purposes, and if you do, we will stop processing your data for those marketing purposes immediately. We will honor all objection requests unless we have compelling legitimate grounds to continue processing that override your interests, rights and freedoms (or if we need to continue processing for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims). We will clearly inform you of any such grounds if relevant.
Right to Data Portability: For personal data that you have provided to us and that we process by automated means based on your consent or on a contract with you, you have the right to request a copy of that data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format. You also have the right to request that we transmit that data to another controller, where technically feasible. This right is designed to enable you to reuse your data across different services. (Note: This right applies only to certain data and contexts, and not to data processed on legal bases other than consent or contract. We will clarify if a particular data set is eligible for portability when responding to such requests.)
Right to Withdraw Consent: If we are processing any of your personal data based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing we conducted prior to your withdrawal, but once consent is withdrawn, we will stop the specific processing that was based on consent. For example, if you no longer wish to be in our WhatsApp community or receive communications from us, you can withdraw your consent and we will remove you from the mailing list or group. Withdrawing consent is as easy as giving it – for instance, you may follow an unsubscribe instruction or contact us at any time to opt out.
Right to Lodge a Complaint: If you believe your data protection rights have been violated or you have concerns about how we are handling your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. In the UK, our supervisory authority is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). You can contact the ICO at ico.org.uk or by phone at +44 303 123 1113. If you are located in another country in the EU/EEA, you can contact your local data protection authority. We would, however, appreciate the chance to address your concerns before you approach a regulator, so we encourage you to contact us first with any complaint and we will do our best to resolve it.
Exercising Your Rights: You can exercise any of your rights by contacting us via the contact details provided in this policy. For security, we may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests (to ensure we do not disclose data to the wrong person). We will respond to your request without undue delay and at the latest within one month, as required by law (this period may be extended by two further months for complex requests, but we will inform you if an extension is needed). There is generally no fee for exercising your rights, except in the case of excessive or manifestly unfounded requests where the law allows charging a reasonable fee. We will inform you of the actions taken on your request, or if applicable, the reasons we cannot fulfill it (such as specific legal exemptions).
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and to collect certain technical information automatically. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer or mobile) when you visit a website, which allow the site to recognize your device and store some information about your preferences or past actions. We use cookies for several reasons, including to make our website function properly, to understand and improve how our site is used, and to personalize content where applicable.
The types of cookies or tracking technologies we may use include:
Necessary Cookies: These are cookies essential for the operation of our website and enabling basic functions (such as navigating pages and accessing secure areas). Without these, the site may not perform as intended.
Analytics/Performance Cookies: These cookies collect information about how visitors use our website (for example, which pages are most frequently visited, whether visitors encounter errors, how they arrived at our site). We use this information in aggregate form to improve the website’s performance and user experience. For instance, we use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect standard internet log information and visitor behavior information in an anonymous form. The information generated by the Google Analytics cookie about your use of our website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers which may be outside the UK/EU. Google uses this information to evaluate use of the website and compile reports for us on website activity. (Google may also use or disclose the data for its own purposes in accordance with its privacy policy, but we do not allow Google to use analytics data to identify any individual personally.) We have configured Google Analytics to anonymize IP addresses where possible and do not collect any direct personal identifiers through Google Analytics.
Functional Cookies: If our site offers certain functionalities (like remembering your preferences or entries in forms), we may use cookies to remember choices you make (such as your region or other custom settings) to provide a more personalized experience.
Advertising/Tracking Cookies: Currently, our website does not serve third-party advertisements and we do not use advertising cookies. If this changes in the future, we will update our cookie practices and obtain any necessary consents. These types of cookies would be used to track browsing habits and show you relevant ads on other sites. We will inform you and give you control before implementing such cookies.
Cookie Consent: On your first visit to our site (and periodically thereafter), you will be presented with a cookie notice or banner requesting your consent for non-essential cookies (such as analytics cookies). You have the right to accept or reject such cookies. If you opt out of or decline certain cookies, you can still use our website, though some features or functionality may be limited or not work as intended. Necessary cookies that are required for the operation of the site do not require consent, but you can still block them using your browser settings if you wish (however, doing so may cause the site to malfunction).
Managing and Disabling Cookies: Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through your browser settings. You can set your browser to refuse all cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. Note: If you disable or refuse cookies, some parts of our site may become inaccessible or not function properly. For example, certain preferences might not be saved or some features may not work. You can also usually delete cookies that have already been set. For more information on how to manage cookies in your browser, you can refer to your browser’s help documentation or websites like www.allaboutcookies.org.
In addition to browser controls, if we use any third-party analytics or similar services, they may offer their own opt-out mechanisms. For Google Analytics, Google provides an opt-out browser add-on you can install to prevent the collection of your data by Google Analytics on all websites. (See the Google Analytics Opt-Out page for more details.)
We do not use tracking technologies for any purposes other than those described above. We do not currently respond to “Do Not Track” signals, as there is no consensus on a DNT standard; however, we treat all users equally and will continue to monitor developments around DNT. If you have any questions about our use of cookies or technologies, feel free to contact us.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time in response to changing legal, technical, or business developments. If we make any material changes, we will notify you by posting the updated Privacy Policy on this page and updating the “Last Updated” date above. In some cases, we may provide additional notice of significant changes, such as by emailing registered users (if applicable) or by placing a prominent notice on our website, prior to the changes becoming effective. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page, unless otherwise indicated. Your continued use of the website after any updates take effect will constitute acknowledgement of the modified policy.
Contact Information
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us. We are here to help and will respond as promptly as possible.
How to reach us:
By Email: You can email us at privacy@petcarehubs.com for any privacy-related inquiries or to exercise your rights.
By Mail: You may also write to us at the following address: Collars Inc. Ltd Silverstream House 45 Fitzroy Street London W1T 6EB (Please note this is a mailing address for privacy correspondence.)
Alternatively, if our website has a contact form or contact page, you may send us a message through that page for privacy matters. Please indicate that your request is related to privacy so we can direct it to the appropriate team.
We value your privacy and appreciate you entrusting us with your personal information. If you have any questions or need further clarification about this Privacy Policy, please do not hesitate to contact us.
This Privacy Policy describes how Pet Care Hubs (“we” or “us”) collects, uses, and discloses your personal data when you use the Pet Care Hubs website, and explains your privacy rights and how the law protects you. In this policy, “personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual (for example, a name, identification number, location data, or other factors specific to your identity). By using our website or submitting information, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
Data Controller Information
Pet Care Hubs is the organization operating this website and, for purposes of UK and EU data protection law, acts as the Data Controller (the entity which determines the purposes and means of processing your personal data). Pet Care Hubs is based in the United Kingdom and can be contacted as outlined in the Contact Information section below. We have not appointed a formal Data Protection Officer (as we are not legally required to), but you may direct any privacy-related inquiries or requests to us using the contact details provided.
Personal Data We Collect and Lawful Basis for Processing
We collect personal data from you in several ways, as outlined below, and we always ensure we have a lawful basis under the GDPR/UK GDPR for each type of processing:
Job Applications: When you apply for a job through our site, we collect personal details such as your name, email address, phone number, and any information you include in your application (e.g. your CV or cover letter). Lawful basis: We process this data to take steps at your request prior to entering into a potential employment contract and based on our legitimate interest in recruiting and evaluating candidates. If required by law (e.g. for equal opportunities monitoring), we may also process certain data under a legal obligation basis.
“Pet of the Week” Contest Entries: If you submit an entry for our Pet of the Week competition, we collect your name and contact details (such as email or phone) and any content you provide about your pet (for example, your pet’s name, story, or photo). Lawful basis: We rely on your consent – by entering, you consent to our use of your submission for the contest. We also have a legitimate interest in using this data to administer the contest (e.g. to select a winner and contact them, and to feature the winning pet as agreed).
Surveys and Forms: When you fill out surveys, feedback forms, or other forms on our site, we collect the information you choose to provide. This may include your opinions/feedback and, in some cases, your name or contact information (if you provide it in the form). Lawful basis: Where surveys or forms are voluntary, we treat your submission as consent to process the data for the stated purpose. In some cases, we may also rely on our legitimate interests in improving our services and user experience to process anonymized or aggregated survey data.
WhatsApp Community Registrations: If you register to join our Pet Care Hubs WhatsApp community, we will collect your name, your WhatsApp phone number, your email address, and your postcode (to understand our community’s regional distribution). Lawful basis: We collect and use this information with your consent, in order to add you to the WhatsApp community and send you updates or communications via WhatsApp as requested. (Please note that using our WhatsApp community is voluntary and you can withdraw from it at any time – see Your Rights below regarding withdrawing consent.)
In addition to the specific data you provide in the contexts above, we may also collect certain information automatically when you visit our website, through the use of cookies and similar technologies (see Cookies and Tracking Technologies below for details). This may include technical data like your IP address, browser type, and browsing actions on our site. We process such data based on our legitimate interest in maintaining the security and functionality of our website and understanding how users interact with it.
Legal Bases: Under the GDPR, we will only process your personal data when we have a valid legal basis to do so. Depending on the context, the bases we rely on include: consent, performance of a contract or steps prior to entering a contract, compliance with a legal obligation, and legitimate interests (for example, our legitimate interest in administering our services or improving our offerings). We ensure that we assess and balance any legitimate interests against your rights and expectations. Where we rely on your consent, you have the right to withdraw consent at any time (without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal).
How We Use Your Personal Data
We use the collected personal data for the following purposes:
To process and respond to your requests or applications: For example, we use your details to review your job applications and correspond with you about them, to administer the Pet of the Week competition (e.g. to select and notify winners), and to respond to any inquiries or feedback you submit via forms or surveys.
To provide and improve our services: We use data to operate and personalize our website’s features, to maintain the functionality and security of the site, and to develop new features or offerings. For instance, we may use survey feedback to improve our content or services, and analyze usage data to troubleshoot performance issues or enhance user experience. We may also use your information for internal analytics and trend analysis in order to understand how our site is used and how effective our outreach is, which helps us improve the website and our offerings.
To communicate with you: We use contact information you provide (email or phone number) to communicate with you for the purposes you have requested. This includes contacting you about your job application status, sending confirmations or results for contest entries, or adding you to our WhatsApp community and sending you community updates. If you join the WhatsApp community, we will use your phone number to send group announcements or updates via WhatsApp. (Note: WhatsApp is a third-party messaging service – see Data Sharing and Third-Party Processors below – and you can leave the group or ask us to remove you at any time.)
To comply with legal or regulatory obligations: In certain cases we may need to process your data to fulfill our legal obligations, such as retaining records for tax or employment law purposes, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.
We will not use your personal data for any purpose that is incompatible with the purposes outlined above. If we intend to process your data for a new purpose, we will update this Privacy Policy and, if required, seek your consent or inform you of the new legal basis.
Data Sharing and Third-Party Processors
We treat your personal data with care and confidentiality. We do not sell your personal information to third parties for their own marketing or any other purposes. However, we do share certain data with third parties in the following circumstances, in accordance with applicable data protection laws:
Service Providers: We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf and under our instructions (so-called data processors). This includes, for example, companies that provide website hosting, data storage, email delivery, analytics, or form processing services. These service providers only have access to the personal data necessary to perform their functions and are contractually required to protect your data and use it only for our specified purposes. For instance, we use analytics providers to monitor and analyze website usage, and such providers (acting as our processors) will process data only as we direct. We may also use third-party platforms to collect form or survey responses; in such cases, those platforms process your data on our behalf.
WhatsApp (Meta Platforms): If you join our WhatsApp community, your phone number and any information you share with us for that purpose will be used to add you to our WhatsApp group or contact list. This means your information will be shared with WhatsApp’s services (owned by Meta Platforms, Inc.) as necessary to deliver the messages. WhatsApp operates globally, so your use of the WhatsApp group is also subject to WhatsApp’s own privacy policy. We advise you to review WhatsApp’s privacy terms, as WhatsApp (as a data controller for its service) will process your phone number and any group communications according to its policies. We will not share your contact details with any other members of the community beyond what is inherent in the WhatsApp group setting (note that in a WhatsApp group, members may see each other’s phone numbers by default).
Business Transfers: If Pet Care Hubs is ever involved in a merger, acquisition, sale of assets or other business transaction, personal data held by us may be transferred to the acquiring or successor entity as part of that transaction. In such an event, we would ensure the recipient continues to be bound by privacy obligations consistent with this policy and applicable law, and we would notify you of any change in data control if required.
Legal Compliance and Protection: We may disclose personal data when required to do so by law or when we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to comply with a legal obligation (for example, responding to court orders, subpoenas, or requests from regulatory authorities). We may also share information if we believe it is necessary to investigate or enforce our terms and conditions, to protect our rights, property or safety, or those of our users or others (for example, to prevent fraud or security incidents). In all cases, we will only disclose the minimum amount of data necessary.
With Your Consent: In cases where you have explicitly given consent for us to share your data with third parties, we will do so as per the terms of your consent. For example, if the Pet of the Week competition involves publicly announcing the winner, we would only publish your name or other details if you have agreed to such publicity. If we ever seek to share your data for a purpose not covered by this policy, we will obtain your consent beforehand.
Whenever we share data with service providers or other third parties, we remain responsible for protecting your personal data. We require all external parties who handle personal data on our behalf to implement appropriate security measures and to process data in compliance with GDPR and UK data protection law. They are not permitted to use your data for their own purposes. Apart from the scenarios described above, we will not disclose your personal information to any third party unless you direct us to or we are legally obligated to do so.
International Data Transfers
Pet Care Hubs primarily stores and processes personal data within the UK or the European Economic Area (EEA). However, some of our third-party service providers or partners may be located in, or may store data in, countries outside the UK and EEA. For example, we may use a cloud service or analytics provider (such as Google Analytics) that operates servers in the United States or other jurisdictions. This means your personal data could be transferred to or accessed from a country with data protection laws that differ from those in your home country.
When we transfer personal data outside of the UK/EEA, we take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with GDPR requirements. These safeguards may include:
Adequacy Decisions: In some cases, the European Commission (or UK authorities) has determined that the laws of a country provide an adequate level of data protection (for example, transfers to countries in the EEA or those officially deemed “adequate”). In such cases, your personal data may be transferred on the basis of that adequacy decision.
Standard Contractual Clauses: Where we transfer data to a country without an adequacy decision (such as the United States), we will typically use EU-approved Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or the UK International Data Transfer Agreement/Addendum, as applicable, as part of our contract with the recipient. These are standard legal clauses that contractually require the recipient to protect your data to GDPR standards.
Other Safeguards: We may rely on other permitted data transfer mechanisms where appropriate, such as binding corporate rules (if applicable) or a specific exception under data protection law (only in special circumstances).
We also ensure that any third parties receiving the data commit to maintaining robust privacy and security standards. No transfer of your personal data will take place to an organization or a country unless adequate controls are in place to protect your information. You can contact us if you would like more information about international data transfers or the safeguards used (for example, to request a copy of the relevant contractual safeguards).
Data Retention
We will retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. In other words, we keep your information for no longer than required for the specific purposes and lawful bases explained in this policy (or as required by law), and we will either securely delete or anonymize your data when it is no longer needed. If we cannot specify a fixed retention period for certain data, we will determine the retention duration based on criteria such as the minimum amount of time necessary to achieve the purposes of collection, the nature and sensitivity of the data, and our legal obligations. Below is an overview of how long we typically retain data in key contexts:
Job Applications: If you apply for a job and are unsuccessful (and do not become our employee), we will normally retain your application data for a short period after the recruitment process ends. This is usually no more than 6 months, to allow us to respond to any follow-up inquiries, consider you for any suitable future vacancies (if you have consented to this), or as needed to defend against legal claims. We may retain de-personalized statistical information about the hiring process (e.g. number of applicants) for longer, but not in a form that identifies you.
Pet of the Week Contest Entries: Personal information collected for a contest (such as your contact details and pet entry) will be retained for the duration of the competition and a reasonable period thereafter. Typically, we keep contest entries for a short time (for example, 1 year) after the contest ends. This allows us to address any questions or issues about the contest and, if you won, to showcase the results (with your consent). After that period, we will delete or anonymize the personal data from contest entries. If any contest-related content (like the winning pet’s photo and owner’s first name) is published on our site or social media, it may remain publicly available until we remove it according to our website content policies, but we will not retain more of your personal info than necessary for that purpose.
Surveys and Forms: Data collected from surveys or general forms will be retained for as long as needed to fulfill the purpose of the survey/form. For instance, if you provided feedback, we will keep your responses until we have analyzed them and incorporated the feedback into improvements. If survey responses are recorded anonymously (with no direct identifiers), we may keep the aggregated results indefinitely. Where survey responses include personal identifiers, we will either anonymize those responses after analysis or delete the personal data within a reasonable time (generally within 12 months unless a longer period is justified).
WhatsApp Community: If you join our WhatsApp community, we will keep your registration details (name, phone, email, postcode) for as long as you remain a member of the community so that we can continue to include you in group communications. If you decide to leave the community or ask to be removed, we will promptly delete or suppress your contact information from our community list. We may retain minimal information (e.g. your email or phone in a suppression list) as necessary to ensure we honor your opt-out (so we don’t accidentally re-add you) or as required for legal compliance, but we will not use it for any other purpose.
In all cases, even if you don’t make a specific deletion request, we will not keep personal data longer than we reasonably need to. We periodically review the data we hold and erase or anonymize personal data that is no longer required for any legitimate purpose. We also comply with applicable legal requirements that mandate certain records be kept for specific periods (for example, finance or employment laws may require some records to be kept for a minimum time). When we delete personal data, we ensure it is removed from our active systems and backups securely. If full deletion is not immediately feasible (e.g., stored in secure backups), we will ensure the data is isolated and protected until deletion is possible.
Your Rights Under GDPR and UK Data Protection Law
As a user of our website and as a data subject under GDPR and UK data protection laws, you have certain rights regarding your personal data. We respect your rights and have processes in place to enable you to exercise them. Your rights include:
Right of Access: You have the right to request confirmation of whether we are processing your personal data, and if so, to access that data. We will provide you with a copy of your personal data undergoing processing, along with information about how we use it, who we share it with, how long we keep it, etc., as required by law. The first copy will be provided free of charge, but we may charge a reasonable fee for additional copies or excessive requests.
Right to Rectification: If any of your personal data that we hold is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to request that we correct or update it. Upon your request, we will rectify any incorrect or incomplete information about you to ensure accuracy and completeness.
Right to Erasure: You have the right to request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances – for example, if the data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, you withdraw consent (and no other legal basis applies), or you object to processing and we have no overriding legitimate grounds to continue. This is also known as the “right to be forgotten.” Please note that this right is not absolute; sometimes we must retain certain information to comply with legal obligations or establish/exercise our legal claims. However, we will always assess and comply with such requests in line with applicable law.
Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to suspend or restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations. For example, if you contest the accuracy of your data, you can request we restrict processing while we verify the information; or if you object to our processing based on legitimate interests, you may request restriction while we consider your objection. When processing is restricted, we will still store your data but not use it further until the restriction is lifted (unless for legal reasons).
Right to Object: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data when such processing is based on our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and you feel it impacts your fundamental rights and freedoms. You can also object at any time to any processing of your data for direct marketing purposes, and if you do, we will stop processing your data for those marketing purposes immediately. We will honor all objection requests unless we have compelling legitimate grounds to continue processing that override your interests, rights and freedoms (or if we need to continue processing for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims). We will clearly inform you of any such grounds if relevant.
Right to Data Portability: For personal data that you have provided to us and that we process by automated means based on your consent or on a contract with you, you have the right to request a copy of that data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format. You also have the right to request that we transmit that data to another controller, where technically feasible. This right is designed to enable you to reuse your data across different services. (Note: This right applies only to certain data and contexts, and not to data processed on legal bases other than consent or contract. We will clarify if a particular data set is eligible for portability when responding to such requests.)
Right to Withdraw Consent: If we are processing any of your personal data based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing we conducted prior to your withdrawal, but once consent is withdrawn, we will stop the specific processing that was based on consent. For example, if you no longer wish to be in our WhatsApp community or receive communications from us, you can withdraw your consent and we will remove you from the mailing list or group. Withdrawing consent is as easy as giving it – for instance, you may follow an unsubscribe instruction or contact us at any time to opt out.
Right to Lodge a Complaint: If you believe your data protection rights have been violated or you have concerns about how we are handling your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. In the UK, our supervisory authority is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). You can contact the ICO at ico.org.uk or by phone at +44 303 123 1113. If you are located in another country in the EU/EEA, you can contact your local data protection authority. We would, however, appreciate the chance to address your concerns before you approach a regulator, so we encourage you to contact us first with any complaint and we will do our best to resolve it.
Exercising Your Rights: You can exercise any of your rights by contacting us via the contact details provided in this policy. For security, we may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests (to ensure we do not disclose data to the wrong person). We will respond to your request without undue delay and at the latest within one month, as required by law (this period may be extended by two further months for complex requests, but we will inform you if an extension is needed). There is generally no fee for exercising your rights, except in the case of excessive or manifestly unfounded requests where the law allows charging a reasonable fee. We will inform you of the actions taken on your request, or if applicable, the reasons we cannot fulfill it (such as specific legal exemptions).
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and to collect certain technical information automatically. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer or mobile) when you visit a website, which allow the site to recognize your device and store some information about your preferences or past actions. We use cookies for several reasons, including to make our website function properly, to understand and improve how our site is used, and to personalize content where applicable.
The types of cookies or tracking technologies we may use include:
Necessary Cookies: These are cookies essential for the operation of our website and enabling basic functions (such as navigating pages and accessing secure areas). Without these, the site may not perform as intended.
Analytics/Performance Cookies: These cookies collect information about how visitors use our website (for example, which pages are most frequently visited, whether visitors encounter errors, how they arrived at our site). We use this information in aggregate form to improve the website’s performance and user experience. For instance, we use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect standard internet log information and visitor behavior information in an anonymous form. The information generated by the Google Analytics cookie about your use of our website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers which may be outside the UK/EU. Google uses this information to evaluate use of the website and compile reports for us on website activity. (Google may also use or disclose the data for its own purposes in accordance with its privacy policy, but we do not allow Google to use analytics data to identify any individual personally.) We have configured Google Analytics to anonymize IP addresses where possible and do not collect any direct personal identifiers through Google Analytics.
Functional Cookies: If our site offers certain functionalities (like remembering your preferences or entries in forms), we may use cookies to remember choices you make (such as your region or other custom settings) to provide a more personalized experience.
Advertising/Tracking Cookies: Currently, our website does not serve third-party advertisements and we do not use advertising cookies. If this changes in the future, we will update our cookie practices and obtain any necessary consents. These types of cookies would be used to track browsing habits and show you relevant ads on other sites. We will inform you and give you control before implementing such cookies.
Cookie Consent: On your first visit to our site (and periodically thereafter), you will be presented with a cookie notice or banner requesting your consent for non-essential cookies (such as analytics cookies). You have the right to accept or reject such cookies. If you opt out of or decline certain cookies, you can still use our website, though some features or functionality may be limited or not work as intended. Necessary cookies that are required for the operation of the site do not require consent, but you can still block them using your browser settings if you wish (however, doing so may cause the site to malfunction).
Managing and Disabling Cookies: Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through your browser settings. You can set your browser to refuse all cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. Note: If you disable or refuse cookies, some parts of our site may become inaccessible or not function properly. For example, certain preferences might not be saved or some features may not work. You can also usually delete cookies that have already been set. For more information on how to manage cookies in your browser, you can refer to your browser’s help documentation or websites like www.allaboutcookies.org.
In addition to browser controls, if we use any third-party analytics or similar services, they may offer their own opt-out mechanisms. For Google Analytics, Google provides an opt-out browser add-on you can install to prevent the collection of your data by Google Analytics on all websites. (See the Google Analytics Opt-Out page for more details.)
We do not use tracking technologies for any purposes other than those described above. We do not currently respond to “Do Not Track” signals, as there is no consensus on a DNT standard; however, we treat all users equally and will continue to monitor developments around DNT. If you have any questions about our use of cookies or technologies, feel free to contact us.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time in response to changing legal, technical, or business developments. If we make any material changes, we will notify you by posting the updated Privacy Policy on this page and updating the “Last Updated” date above. In some cases, we may provide additional notice of significant changes, such as by emailing registered users (if applicable) or by placing a prominent notice on our website, prior to the changes becoming effective. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page, unless otherwise indicated. Your continued use of the website after any updates take effect will constitute acknowledgement of the modified policy.
Contact Information
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us. We are here to help and will respond as promptly as possible.
How to reach us:
By Email: You can email us at privacy@petcarehubs.com for any privacy-related inquiries or to exercise your rights.
By Mail: You may also write to us at the following address: Collars Inc. Ltd Silverstream House 45 Fitzroy Street London W1T 6EB (Please note this is a mailing address for privacy correspondence.)
Alternatively, if our website has a contact form or contact page, you may send us a message through that page for privacy matters. Please indicate that your request is related to privacy so we can direct it to the appropriate team.
We value your privacy and appreciate you entrusting us with your personal information. If you have any questions or need further clarification about this Privacy Policy, please do not hesitate to contact us.
