Privacy Policy

Holly & Hounds Pet Care is an independent dog walking and pet care business run by me, Holly, as a sole trader in Great Witley, Worcestershire.

I am the data controller responsible for the personal information I collect and use in connection with my business.

You can contact me about privacy matters through the contact form on this website.

Depending on how you contact me or use my services, I may collect your name, email address, telephone number and address; details of the services you're interested in, requested dates, booking details and our communications; information about your dog's routines, behaviour, health, medication, veterinary arrangements and care needs; emergency contact details, relevant home access instructions and other information needed to provide agreed care safely; details of services provided, payments, invoices and relevant correspondence; and technical information collected through cookies or similar technologies, as explained below.

I generally collect this information directly from you, including through my website, email, telephone and care forms. Where a booking is made through a third-party platform (eg. Rover), I may also receive the information needed to manage that booking.

I do not currently take payment card details directly through this website.

I use personal information only where there is a valid reason to do so, including to respond to enquiries and discuss your dog's care needs; arrange meet and greets and assess whether I can provide suitable care; organise and deliver agreed dog walking, drop-in visits and house sitting; communicate with you about bookings, updates and important care matters; maintain appropriate records of care instructions, emergency arrangements and services provided; manage invoices, payments and business administration; meet applicable legal and tax obligations; and protect my legitimate business interests, including handling complaints or legal claims.

I will not add you to a marketing mailing list without the appropriate permission or another lawful basis that meets UK marketing rules.

I do not sell your personal information.

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), I rely on different lawful bases depending on why the information is needed.

Steps towards a contract and performance of a contract: To respond to requests for services, arrange bookings and provide agreed pet care.

Legitimate interests: To manage relevant business communications, maintain appropriate records, respond to concerns and protect the safety and interests of clients, their pets and my business, where those interests are not overridden by your rights.

Legal obligations: To retain information where required by applicable tax, accounting or other laws.

Consent: Where consent is required, such as for certain non-essential website cookies or particular marketing activities.

Where I rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing that was lawful before you withdrew consent.

I do not sell your personal information or share it with other businesses for their own marketing purposes.

I use website hosting and email delivery services provided by GoDaddy to operate this website and handle contact form enquiries. GoDaddy may process and store personal information submitted through the website as part of providing those services.

I may also share relevant information with email and communication providers, booking platforms such as Rover, professional advisers, or veterinary professionals where necessary for the care of your dog or the operation of my business.

Information may also be disclosed where required by law.

GoDaddy and some other service providers may process personal information outside the UK.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, I rely on appropriate arrangements and safeguards as required by UK data protection law.

Further information about GoDaddy's data handling practices is available in its privacy documentation.

I keep personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purposes described in this policy.

Enquiries that do not become bookings are retained for a reasonable period after the last communication, unless there is a reason to keep them longer. Client contact details and care records are kept for as long as our working relationship continues and for a reasonable period afterwards, taking account of ongoing bookings, safety needs and potential claims. Invoices and financial records are retained for the period required by applicable tax and accounting rules.

When information is no longer needed, I will securely delete or dispose of it, unless I am legally required to retain it.

I take reasonable steps to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss or misuse.

My website is hosted using GoDaddy services. I use appropriate account security measures and restrict access to personal information to what is needed to run my business.

No online service can guarantee complete security, but I take the protection of client information seriously.

Under UK data protection law, you may have the right to access the personal information I hold about you; correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete; request deletion of your information in certain circumstances; restrict how your information is used in certain circumstances; object to processing based on legitimate interests; request data portability where the legal requirements apply; and withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

These rights are subject to legal conditions and exceptions. For example, I may need to retain some records to meet legal obligations.

To exercise your rights, please contact me using the contact form on this website.

Where I use your information on the basis of legitimate interests, you have the right to object to that processing. You also have the right to object to direct marketing at any time.

This website is hosted using GoDaddy services and may use cookies and similar technologies for essential website functions, security and performance.

Depending on the website features enabled, additional cookies or technologies may be used for analytics or other purposes.

Where UK law requires consent, non-essential cookies and similar technologies will only be used after valid consent has been obtained.

Information about the cookies used and available choices will be provided through the website's cookie settings or cookie notice.

This website may include links to third-party services, such as Instagram or Rover.

If you follow those links, the relevant provider may collect and process your information under its own privacy policy. I encourage you to review those policies before sharing personal information.

If you have a question or concern about how I handle your personal information, please get in touch using the contact form on this website. I will review your concern and respond in accordance with applicable data protection law.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator, at ico.org.uk.

I may update this policy when my business practices, website services or legal requirements change.

The latest version will be available on this page, with the date of the most recent update shown at the top.