Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 9, 2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to Whiskers Whistle (the "Site"). [Your Organization Name / Your Name] ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website [Your Website URL]. Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the site.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect information about you in a variety of ways. The information we may collect on the Site includes:

• Personal Data: Personally identifiable information, such as your name, email address, and telephone number, that you voluntarily give to us when you use contact forms, sign up for newsletters, or interact with other features of the Site. [Be specific about all data collected]. You are under no obligation to provide us with personal information of any kind; however, your refusal to do so may prevent you from using certain features of the Site.
• Donation Information: If you choose to donate through links on our Site, you may be directed to a third-party payment processor (e.g., PayPal, Stripe, GoFundMe). We typically do not directly collect or store your full credit card number or other sensitive financial information. The third-party processor handles the transaction, and we may receive information like your name, email address, donation amount, and date for record-keeping purposes. Please review the privacy policy of the third-party processor.
• Derivative Data: Information our servers automatically collect when you access the Site, such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, access times, and the pages you have viewed directly before and after accessing the Site.
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We may use cookies, web beacons, tracking pixels, and other tracking technologies on the Site to help customize the Site and improve your experience. For more information on how we use cookies, please refer to our Cookie Policy section below.

3. How We Collect Information

We collect information through:

• Direct Submissions: When you fill out forms (contact, newsletter).
• Automatic Collection: Through server logs and tracking technologies like cookies when you browse the Site.
• Third Parties: Such as analytics providers (e.g., Google Analytics) and donation processors.

4. How We Use Your Information

Having accurate information about you permits us to provide you with a smooth, efficient, and customized experience. Specifically, we may use information collected about you via the Site to:

• Operate and maintain the Site.
• Send you newsletters or other communications you have opted into.
• Respond to your comments, questions, and support requests.
• Monitor and analyze usage and trends to improve your experience with the Site.
• Protect against unauthorized or illegal activity.
• Compile anonymous statistical data and analysis for internal use or with third parties.
• Comply with legal obligations.
• [Add any other specific uses relevant to your site].

5. Legal Basis for Processing Personal Information (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), our processing of your personal information is based on the following:

• Consent: Where you have given consent for us to process your personal information for specific purposes (e.g., newsletter subscription).
• Legitimate Interests: Where the processing is necessary for our legitimate interests (e.g., operating the Site, analytics, security) and not overridden by your data protection interests or fundamental rights and freedoms.
• Legal Obligation: Where we have a legal obligation to process your personal information.

6. Disclosure of Your Information

We may share information we have collected about you in certain situations. Your information may be disclosed as follows:

• By Law or to Protect Rights: If we believe the release of information about you is necessary to respond to legal process, to investigate or remedy potential violations of our policies, or to protect the rights, property, and safety of others, we may share your information as permitted or required by any applicable law, rule, or regulation.
• Third-Party Service Providers: We may share your information with third parties that perform services for us or on our behalf, including data analysis (e.g., Google Analytics), email delivery, hosting services, and donation processing. We require these third parties to maintain the confidentiality of your information and use it only for the purposes for which we disclose it to them.
• Third-Party Donation Processors: When you make a donation, your information is provided directly to the third-party processor. Their use of your personal information is governed by their privacy policy.
• Other Third Parties: We will not share, sell, rent, or trade your personal information with other third parties for their promotional purposes without your specific consent.
• Aggregated/Anonymized Data: We may share aggregated or anonymized information that does not directly identify you.

7. Security of Your Information

We use administrative, technical, and physical security measures to help protect your personal information. While we have taken reasonable steps to secure the personal information you provide to us, please be aware that despite our efforts, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable, and no method of data transmission can be guaranteed against any interception or other type of misuse.

8. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law (such as tax, accounting, or other legal requirements).

9. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on your location (e.g., EEA, California), you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to Access: Request copies of your personal data.
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure ('Right to be Forgotten'): Request deletion of your personal data, under certain conditions.
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request restriction of processing, under certain conditions.
• Right to Object to Processing: Object to our processing based on legitimate interests.
• Right to Data Portability: Request transfer of your data to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw your consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
• Right to Opt-Out (Marketing): Unsubscribe from marketing communications.
• California Residents (CCPA/CPRA): You have specific rights including the right to know, delete, correct, opt-out of sale/sharing (we currently do not "sell" or "share" personal information as defined by CPRA, but will update if this changes), and limit use of sensitive personal information.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided below. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request.

10. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies (like web beacons and pixels) to access or store information. Common uses include:

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for the website to function properly.
• Performance/Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website (e.g., Google Analytics).
• Functionality Cookies: Remember choices you make to improve your experience.

You can usually set your browser to remove or reject browser cookies. Please note that if you choose to remove or reject cookies, this could affect the availability and functionality of the Site. For Google Analytics, you can opt-out via their browser add-on. [Consider adding a dedicated Cookie Policy link if usage is complex].

11. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not directed to individuals under the age of 13 ("Children"). We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from Children. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your Child has provided us with Personal Data, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected Personal Data from Children without verification of parental consent, we take steps to remove that information from our servers.

12. International Data Transfers

Your information, including personal data, may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction. If you are located outside the United States and choose to provide information to us, please note that we transfer the data, including Personal Data, to the United States and process it there. Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by your submission of such information represents your agreement to that transfer. [Consult lawyer about appropriate transfer mechanisms if targeting EU users, e.g., Standard Contractual Clauses].

13. Links to Other Websites

Our Site may contain links to other websites not operated by us. If you click a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our 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 "Effective Date" at the top. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

• By email: [Your Contact Email]
• By mail: [Your Contact Address, if applicable]
• [Other contact methods?]