1. Who this policy applies to

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected through this website, donation forms, contact forms, mailing list sign-ups, fundraising activities, supporter communications and general enquiries made to PAWS Rescue Clinic.

In this policy, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to PAWS Rescue Clinic. “You” refers to visitors, donors, supporters, volunteers, rescue partners and other people who interact with us.

2. The information we may collect

The types of personal information we may collect include:

• your name and contact details, such as email address, phone number and postal address;
• donation details, including donation amount, donation date and whether you would like to be publicly acknowledged;
• messages, enquiries or feedback submitted through our website or by email;
• volunteer, foster carer or rescue partner information, where relevant;
• limited technical information about your visit to our website, such as browser type, device information, pages visited and general usage data;
• any other information you choose to provide to us.

We do not intentionally collect sensitive information unless it is necessary for a specific purpose and you have provided it voluntarily, or where collection is otherwise permitted by law.

3. How we collect information

We may collect personal information when you:

• make a donation;
• submit a contact form;
• email, call or message us;
• subscribe to updates or newsletters;
• participate in fundraising activities, events or campaigns;
• interact with us through social media;
• visit or use our website.

Where possible, we collect information directly from you. In some cases, information may be provided by a rescue partner, payment provider, fundraising platform or other service provider involved in supporting our activities.

4. How we use personal information

We may use personal information to:

• process donations and issue donation receipts where applicable;
• thank donors and acknowledge support, where consent has been given;
• respond to enquiries and requests;
• provide updates about rescue animals, fundraising campaigns and clinic activities;
• manage volunteer, rescue partner or supporter relationships;
• improve our website, communications and community engagement;
• maintain accurate records for accounting, governance and legal purposes;
• protect the security and integrity of our website and systems;
• comply with any legal or regulatory obligations.

5. Donations and payment processing

Donation payments may be processed through third-party payment providers, such as PayPal or another secure payment platform. These providers may collect and process payment information according to their own privacy policies and security practices.

PAWS Rescue Clinic does not intend to store full credit card or bank account details on this website. Please review the privacy policy of the payment provider used at the time of donation.

6. Donor acknowledgements

We may offer donors the option to be recognised on our website or other supporter materials. We will only publish your name, message or donation acknowledgement if you choose to provide consent or select a public acknowledgement option.

If you would like a published donor acknowledgement removed or changed, please contact us.

7. Cookies and website analytics

Our website may use cookies or similar technologies to help the site function, understand how visitors use the website, improve user experience and protect against spam or misuse.

You can usually adjust your browser settings to refuse or delete cookies. Some parts of the website may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

[Optional: If you use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, reCAPTCHA, email marketing tools or other tracking services, list them here.]

8. When we may share information

We do not sell personal information. We may share personal information only where reasonably necessary, including with:

• payment processors and fundraising platforms used to process donations;
• website hosting, email, IT, accounting or administration service providers;
• rescue partners, where necessary to coordinate support or respond to an enquiry;
• professional advisers, insurers or regulators, where required;
• law enforcement, courts or government authorities, where required or permitted by law.

Where we use third-party service providers, we take reasonable steps to ensure personal information is handled appropriately.

9. Overseas disclosure

Some third-party services we use, such as payment processors, email systems, website plugins, analytics tools or cloud storage providers, may store or process information outside Australia.

Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to use reputable providers and protect the information we hold.

10. Security of personal information

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

These steps may include secure website hosting, access controls, password protection, limiting access to information, and using reputable third-party providers. However, no internet transmission or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

11. Data breaches

If we become aware of a suspected or actual data breach, we will take reasonable steps to contain the breach, assess the risk, and notify affected individuals or relevant authorities where required by law.

12. Accessing or correcting your information

You may contact us to request access to personal information we hold about you, or to ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. In some circumstances, we may be unable to provide access to certain information, but we will explain why if this occurs.

13. Marketing and communications

If you subscribe to updates or provide permission to receive communications, we may send you emails or messages about rescue stories, fundraising campaigns, donation opportunities and PAWS Rescue Clinic activities.

You can unsubscribe or ask us to stop sending marketing communications at any time.

14. Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to external websites, including rescue partners, social media platforms, payment providers and fundraising services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external websites. Please review their privacy policies before providing personal information.

15. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be published on this page with a revised “last updated” date.

16. Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, would like to access or correct your information, or wish to make a privacy complaint, please contact us: