Privacy Policy

1. PURPOSE & SCOPE

• This Privacy Policy explains how Pet.ug collects, uses, discloses, and safeguards personal and pet-related data (“Personal Data”) on its website, mobile apps, and connected services (“Platform”).
• It applies to all users — including Pet Owners, Sellers, Buyers, Service Providers, and Veterinarians.
• By using the Platform, you consent to this Policy.
• Pet.ug is committed to protecting personal privacy and complying with the Data Protection and Privacy Act (DPPA) 2019 and relevant international data-protection principles.

2. DATA CONTROLLER

• Pet.ug acts as the Data Controller for all data collected through the Platform.
• Data Protection Officer (DPO): available via legal@pet.ug or support@pet.ug.
• Users can contact the DPO for access, correction, deletion, or privacy-related inquiries.

3. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

Pet.ug collects several categories of data to enable the marketplace to function safely and efficiently:

3.1 Personal Identification

• Full Name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Postal address (optional, for shipping/payouts)
• Account credentials (passwords encrypted)
• Profile photo or business name (for sellers/service providers)

3.2 Pet Data

We collect two distinct types of pet-related information:

(a) Marketplace Listing Data (Public)

• Information submitted for the purpose of public listings including pet name, species, breed, age, photos, and general health status intended for public display to facilitate sale, adoption, or service connection.
• This data is visible to other users and visitors on the Platform.
• The lawful basis for processing this information is contractual necessity (enabling listings) and legitimate business interest (marketplace operation).

(b) Pet Profile & Veterinary Data (Private)

• Information uploaded by owners to create private Pet Profiles — such as medical records, vaccination certificates, microchip data, diagnoses, prescriptions, or veterinary notes.
• This information is classified as Sensitive Data under Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act (2019).
• It is not publicly visible and is accessible only to:
  • The Pet Owner
  • Veterinarians or service providers explicitly authorized by the Pet Owner
  • Pet.ug administrators for lawful system operations or regulatory obligations.
• The lawful basis for processing this data is explicit consent and vital interests (animal welfare and health).

3.3 Service, Transaction, Listing & Booking Data

For services, listing, bookings or product sales via the Platform we collect:

• service type, date, time, price, provider
• product details, delivery status, payment information (via third-party gateways)
• transaction IDs, invoices, refund/cancellation records, history (dates, prices, listings)
• communications between Users (chat logs, messaging history).
• Listings created or viewed
• Payment records processed by third-party providers
• Seller/buyer chat and dispute messages

3.4 Device, Usage Data

• device type, operating system version, app version;
• IP address, location approximations, log files, error and analytics data;
• cookies and similar technologies for analytics, preferences and security.

3.5 Communications & Support Data

• Emails, support chats, and feedback messages.
• Phone call logs or voicemails (for customer support interactions).

4. LEGAL BASES FOR PROCESSING (DPPA 2019)

We process your data under the following lawful bases:

• Contractual necessity: to provide services you request (listings, payments, vet access)
• Consent: for Pet Profiles, veterinary data sharing, and marketing emails
• Legitimate interest: to maintain platform safety, prevent fraud, improve features
• Legal obligation: to comply with taxation, anti-fraud, or court orders
• Public interest: for law enforcement cooperation (animal welfare or trafficking cases)

5. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We use collected data to:

• Create, manage, and secure your account
• Facilitate listings, transactions, and communications
• Enable payments and escrow operation
• Verify users (sellers, breeders, veterinarians)
• Store and manage Pet Profiles securely
• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and illegal trade
• Comply with animal-welfare and trade regulations (e.g., CITES)
• Respond to support requests and user inquiries
• Improve and customize user experience
• Send essential service updates and legal notifications

Distinct Use of Pet Data:

• Marketplace Pet Data: Used solely for publishing listings, enabling search visibility, facilitating inquiries, and processing transactions.
• Pet Profile & Veterinary, Service Data: Used exclusively for veterinary care, pet management, or internal analytics (anonymized). Pet.ug will not use or display this data for marketing, advertising, or sale.

We do not cross-use private Pet Profile data in public listings.

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal data to any third party.

6. PET PROFILES

6.1 Purpose and Scope

This section explains how Pet.ug handles all pet-related data, distinguishing clearly between public marketplace listings and private Pet Profiles containing veterinary information. Pet.ug collects and processes such information in accordance with the Uganda Data Protection and Privacy Act (2019) (“DPPA 2019”), following the principles of purpose limitation, consent, confidentiality, and data-minimization.

6.2 Data Categories

a) Marketplace Pet Listing Data Public

• Information submitted to advertise pets or animals for sale, adoption, or service connection (e.g., species, breed, sex, age, photos, location, general health).
• This data is publicly visible on the Platform to enable discovery and transactions.
• Lawful basis: contractual necessity (to create a listing) and legitimate interest (marketplace operation).
• Pet.ug may index and display this data in search results within the Platform but will not associate it with any sensitive medical information.

(b) Pet Profile and Veterinary Data Private

• Information voluntarily uploaded by pet owners for record keeping or veterinary consultation, including vaccination certificates, prescriptions, diagnoses, microchip numbers, lab results, or other health notes
• This information is treated as Sensitive Personal Data under DPPA 2019.
• It is not publicly visible and is accessible only to:
  • The Pet Owner
  • Veterinarians or service providers explicitly authorized by the Pet Owner
  • Pet.ug administrators for lawful system operations or regulatory obligations.
• Lawful basis: explicit consent of the pet owner and, where applicable, vital interests of the animal or public health.

6.3 Access Control and Consent

• Owners grant access to specific veterinarians or clinics through a secure consent interface.
• Consent may be limited to certain data fields (e.g., vaccination history only) and can be revoked at any time; once revoked, access ceases immediately.
• All veterinarian log-ins and data views create a timestamped audit trail visible to the owner.
• Emergency override is permitted only where the veterinarian reasonably believes immediate access is necessary to prevent serious harm to an animal or to protect public health, consistent with DPPA 2019 §10(3); such access is automatically logged and the owner is notified.

6.4 Data Storage and Security

• Pet.ug stores Marketplace Data and Pet Profile Data in separate, access-controlled databases.
• Veterinary Data is encrypted using AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit.
• Marketplace Data may be indexed for public search; Pet Profile Data is excluded from indexing and external APIs.
• Internal access is role-based and restricted to trained staff bound by confidentiality agreements.

6.5 Use of Data

• Marketplace Data is used solely to publish listings, enable searches, and facilitate communication between buyers and sellers.
• Pet Profile and Veterinary Data is used exclusively for veterinary care, owner record-keeping, analytics in anonymized form, and legal reporting obligations (e.g., vaccination statistics).
• Pet.ug does not use or disclose private veterinary data for advertising, marketing, or profiling.
• No cross-use occurs between the two categories: information stored in a Pet Profile will never appear in a public listing unless the owner explicitly re-submits it for that purpose.

6.7 Data Subject Rights

• Owners may independently view, edit, download, or delete each Pet Profile through their dashboard.
• Owners may request an export of veterinary records for continuity of care.
• Deleting a public marketplace listing does not delete associated veterinary data, and vice versa—each dataset is governed by its own lawful basis and retention period

6.8 Professional Obligations of Veterinarians

• Veterinarians accessing the Platform must hold a valid licence from the Uganda Veterinary Board or equivalent authority.
• They must process data strictly for professional duties and maintain confidentiality as required by the Veterinary Surgeons Act (Cap 277) and DPPA 2019.
• Misuse of Pet Profile Data may lead to termination of access and notification to the licensing authority.

6.9 Owner Transparency and Audit Trail

• Every access or modification of Veterinary Data is logged with Vet ID, timestamp, and action.
• Pet Owners can view their audit history via the Privacy Dashboard
• Pet.ug may generate aggregated, anonymized statistics for platform improvement or animal-health insights; such datasets contain no personal or pet-identifiable information.

6.10 Summary of Protections

• Clear separation between public marketplace information and private veterinary records.
• Explicit consent and role-based access for sensitive data.
• Strong encryption, audit trails, and revocation controls.
• Compliance with DPPA 2019, the Veterinary Surgeons Act, and global privacy standards.

7. DATA SHARING

Pet.ug shares data only when necessary and under lawful conditions:

We never disclose pet health data for advertising or profiling.

8. COOKIES & TRACKING TECHNOLOGY

• Pet.ug uses cookies and analytics tools for authentication, session management, fraud prevention, and performance optimization.
• Types of cookies used:
  • Essential cookies platform login and session security
  • Functional cookies user preferences
  • Analytics cookies aggregate site usage statistics
• Users may disable cookies in browser settings, but certain functions may not work.

9. DATA RETENTION

• User account data: retained while account is active + 12 months after closure.
• Pet health data: retained only for the purpose consented to (e.g., vet access), then deleted or anonymized.
• Transaction data: stored for at least 5 years for accounting and compliance.
• Communications & logs: retained up to 2 years for dispute resolution.
• Data exceeding legal or operational necessity is securely deleted using anonymization or cryptographic erasure.

10. DATA SECURITY

Pet.ug applies technical and organizational measures to protect your data

• AES-256 encryption for stored data
• HTTPS/TLS for data transmission
• Access control with staff confidentiality training
• Two-factor authentication for sensitive operations
• Continuous system monitoring and backup encryption
• Periodic third-party security audits.

Despite safeguards, no system is completely secure; users assume reasonable risk associated with online activity.

11. DATA SUBJECT RIGHTS (YOUR RIGHTS)

Pet.ug allows users to separately access, edit, or delete (a) public listing information and (b) private pet health data. Deleting a listing does not delete veterinary data, and deleting a Pet Profile does not affect historical sales records — each dataset is maintained under distinct retention and legal bases.

Under Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019, you have the right to:

• Access your personal or pet data stored on Pet.ug
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion (“right to be forgotten”), subject to legal retention
• Withdraw consent for veterinary or marketing data processing
• Restrict processing under certain circumstances
• Object to automated processing or profiling
• Receive data portability in a structured, machine-readable format
• Lodge a complaint with the Personal Data Protection Office (PDPO)

To exercise these rights, contact support@pet.ug. We respond within 30 days.

12. INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

• Data may be stored on secure servers outside Uganda (e.g., EU or AWS/Azure data centers).
• Pet.ug ensures equivalent protection through.
• DPPA-compliant data-transfer agreements.
• Encryption and access restrictions.
• Jurisdictions with adequate data protection laws.

13. THIRD-PARTY LINKS

• The Platform may contain links to third-party websites (veterinary resources, sellers’ profiles, payment pages).
• Pet.ug is not responsible for third-party privacy practices.
• Users should review those sites’ privacy policies independently.

14. CHILDREN’S PRIVACY

• The Platform is intended for users aged 18 years or older.
• We do not knowingly collect data from minors.
• If you believe a minor’s data is stored, contact us to delete it immediately.

15. DATA BREACH RESPONSE

In the event of a data breach involving personal or pet information:

• Pet.ug will notify affected users and the Personal Data Protection Office (PDPO) within 72 hours (as required by DPPA).
• We will provide:
• Description of breach and likely impact;
• Mitigation steps taken;
• Contact details of the Data Protection Officer.
• Emergency measures will be taken to contain and secure the breach.

16. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

• Pet.ug may revise this Privacy Policy from time to time.
• Any material updates will be communicated via email or in-app notice.
• Continued use of the Platform after notice means you accept the new Policy.

17. CONTACT INFORMATION

For inquiries, data-subject requests or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy or our data-processing practices, contact:

You may also lodge a complaint with Uganda's Personal Data Protection Office (PDPO) under the DPPA if you believe your rights have been infringed.