1. Scope
This Policy applies to information processed through the Service. It does not govern the independent privacy practices of wildlife rehabilitators, wildlife control operators, agencies, volunteers, donors, partner websites, or other third parties. When you contact or work with one of those parties, that party may separately collect and use your information under its own policies and legal obligations.
2. Information We Collect
Depending on how you use the Service, we may collect:
- Account and profile information: name, email address, phone number, avatar, account role, authentication records, notification preferences, and organization memberships.
- Provider and organization information: business or facility names, professional names, descriptions, contact details, addresses, service areas, hours, websites, social links, species served, licenses, permits, certifications, experience, services, intake instructions, and team-member details.
- Wildlife case information: animal or species, condition, number of animals, descriptions, case notes, status, dates, activity history, dispatch and transfer details, and uploaded photos.
- Reporter and location information: reporter name and contact details, street address, city, county, state, ZIP code, location notes, and approximate or precise coordinates when provided or generated from an address.
- Volunteer and helper information: contact information, availability, service area, transportation capability, vehicle information, experience, permit details, application responses, and review notes.
- Requests and communications: contact-form messages, provider responses, feedback, support requests, invitations, and communications sent through or in connection with the Service.
- Donation pledge information: pledged amount, donor name, donor email, recipient organization, and pledge status. Unless we expressly state otherwise at the point of collection, CritterHelp does not collect or store payment-card or bank-account information.
- Integration and partner information: widget configuration, referring or embedding domain, partner contact details, API and webhook configuration, and synchronization identifiers for services connected by an organization.
- Device and usage information: IP address, browser and device type, operating system, pages viewed, referring page, access times, error and security logs, and interactions with the Service.
3. How We Collect Information
We collect information directly from you, from organizations and users who use the Service, automatically from your browser or device, and from public or authorized sources. Directory information may come from providers, government licensing or agency records, public websites, partner organizations, or other lawful public sources. Organizations may also import or synchronize records through authorized integrations.
4. How We Use Information
We use information to:
- operate, maintain, secure, troubleshoot, and improve the Service;
- help people locate and contact wildlife rehabilitators, wildlife control operators, agencies, and other resources;
- route help and intake requests and support case management, dispatch, transportation, transfers, volunteer coordination, and record keeping;
- create, maintain, verify, claim, and display directory listings and service areas;
- geocode addresses, calculate approximate distance, and identify nearby providers;
- send transactional email, text, webhook, or in-app notifications requested or enabled by users and organizations;
- support widgets, APIs, exports, and integrations selected by an organization;
- respond to questions, claims, corrections, legal requests, and support inquiries;
- analyze Service performance and usage, prevent fraud or misuse, enforce our terms, and protect people, animals, property, and the Service; and
- comply with law and establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
5. Public Directory and User-Directed Sharing
Directory listings are intended to be public. A listing may display an organization or provider's name, professional details, business contact information, general service location, service area, hours, credentials, photos, and other listing content. Home-based providers should carefully choose what address and contact details they submit for public display.
When you submit a help request, intake report, volunteer application, donation pledge, or other request, we disclose the relevant information to the organization or organizations needed to respond. Those recipients may contact you directly and may retain records to satisfy operational, professional, licensing, reporting, or legal requirements.
6. Other Disclosures
We may disclose information:
- to hosting, database, storage, email, communications, security, analytics, geocoding, mapping, and support vendors that process information for us;
- to integrations, webhook destinations, or partner tools at the direction of an authorized organization user;
- to another organization when a wildlife case is transferred or jointly coordinated;
- to professional advisers, auditors, insurers, and prospective or actual parties to a merger, financing, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, subject to appropriate safeguards;
- when required by law, legal process, or a valid government request; or
- when reasonably necessary to investigate misuse, enforce agreements, protect rights and safety, or address an emergency involving a person, animal, or property.
We may use and disclose aggregated or de-identified information that cannot reasonably identify you. We do not sell personal information for money, and we do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
7. Location Data and Photos
Location information may reveal a home, workplace, animal location, or sensitive wildlife site. We use it to route requests, calculate distance, support dispatch, and maintain case records. Addresses may be sent to keyless geocoding providers to obtain normalized place information or coordinates. Photos may contain faces, license plates, addresses, landmarks, metadata, or other identifying details. Only upload photos and location details you are authorized to share and that are reasonably necessary for the request.
8. Cookies and Similar Technologies
We use cookies and similar local technologies that are necessary for authentication, session management, preferences, security, and core functionality. We may also use limited measurement technologies to understand Service usage and performance. We do not use third-party advertising cookies. Browser settings may block cookies, but doing so can prevent account and Service features from working correctly. Because there is no consistent industry standard, the Service does not currently respond to browser "Do Not Track" signals.
9. Data Retention
We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide the Service, maintain accurate directories and case histories, comply with legal and professional record-keeping requirements, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and protect the Service. Retention periods vary by record type and the needs of the organization responsible for a case. Public listings sourced from public records may be updated, archived, or retained to preserve source and verification history. Backup copies may remain for a limited period after deletion.
10. Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information, including access controls, encrypted transmission, secure authentication, and database-level authorization controls. No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee that information will never be accessed, lost, altered, or disclosed without authorization. You are responsible for protecting your credentials and promptly reporting suspected account misuse.
11. Your Choices and Privacy Rights
You may update certain account and organization information through the Service and may manage available notification settings. You may also ask us to access, correct, delete, or provide a copy of personal information we control, or object to or restrict certain processing. Applicable law may provide additional rights, and some records may be exempt from deletion or must be retained by us or a provider organization.
To make a request, email privacy@critterhelp.org. We may need to verify your identity and authority. If the information is controlled by a listed organization, we may direct your request to that organization. You may also use our contact page to request a directory correction. We will not discriminate against you for exercising an applicable privacy right.
12. Children's Privacy
The Service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from a child under 13. Users under the age of legal majority may use the Service only with the involvement and permission of a parent or legal guardian. If you believe a child provided personal information without appropriate consent, contact us so we can review and delete it where required.
13. Processing in the United States
CritterHelp is operated in the United States. If you access the Service from another country, your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States or other locations where our service providers operate, which may have different data-protection laws than your location.
14. Third-Party Services and Links
The Service may link to or interoperate with third-party websites, social networks, maps, databases, and software. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, not this Policy. We encourage you to review those policies before providing information or enabling an integration.
15. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Policy as the Service or law changes. We will post the revised Policy and update the date above. If a change materially affects how we use personal information, we may provide additional notice through the Service or by email when appropriate. Your continued use after the effective date is subject to the revised Policy.
16. Contact Us
Questions or privacy requests may be sent to WildPipe, LLC at privacy@critterhelp.org.