privacy policy

effective date: May 21, 2025  ·  last updated: September 1, 2026

pawd. ("pawd.," "we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. this privacy policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use the pawd. mobile application and website at usepawd.com (collectively, the "service"). please read this policy carefully. if you disagree with its terms, please discontinue use of the service.

1. information we collect

information you provide directly

• email address — collected when you sign up for launch notifications or create an account.
• location (zip code or general region) — used to surface adoptable pets near you. we do not collect precise GPS coordinates unless you explicitly grant location permission for proximity-based features.
• profile photos and pet listing photos — if you upload a profile photo or photos for a pet listing, these images are stored securely via Supabase. pawd. requests access to your camera and photo library solely to allow you to select or capture photos for this purpose.
• preferences and quiz responses — lifestyle quiz answers you provide to personalize pet matching (e.g., activity level, living situation, pet experience).
• communications — if you contact us by email, we retain those records to respond to your inquiry.

information collected automatically

• device identifiers — including Apple's advertising identifier (IDFA) where consent has been granted, device model, operating system version, and unique device ID.
• usage data — interactions with the app such as swipes, pets viewed, donations made, and screens visited. this data is used to improve matching quality and app performance.
• log data — IP address, app version, crash reports, and diagnostic information collected automatically when errors occur.
• advertising data — when you watch rewarded ads, Google AdMob may collect data in accordance with Google's own privacy policy to serve and measure advertisements.
• push notification token — if you grant notification permission, your device's APNs push token is stored securely in your account record and used solely to deliver app notifications (e.g., launch updates). you can revoke notification permission at any time in iOS Settings.

information from third parties

• pet listing data — we retrieve adoptable pet profiles from RescueGroups (rescuegroups.org) and partner shelters. this data includes pet photos, descriptions, and shelter contact information provided by those organizations.
• shelter data — when you tap to donate to a shelter, pawd. retrieves shelter details and, where available, a donation URL from RescueGroups, or finds a match via every.org's search API. pawd. does not process payments or store any payment information — donations are completed entirely on every.org's platform.

2. how we use your information

we use the information we collect to:

• operate, maintain, and improve the pawd. service
• personalize pet matching results based on your preferences and location
• facilitate connections to shelter donation pages and every.org for users who choose to donate
• send transactional communications (e.g., launch notification confirmations)
• serve and measure rewarded advertising through Google AdMob
• detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent transactions and abuse
• comply with legal obligations
• respond to your questions and support requests

we do not sell your personal information to third parties. we do not use your information for any purpose beyond what is described in this policy.

3. advertising — google admob

pawd. uses Google AdMob to serve rewarded advertisements. AdMob may collect and use data from your device, including advertising identifiers and usage signals, to show you relevant ads and measure ad performance. AdMob's data practices are governed by Google's Privacy Policy.

on iOS, pawd. requests App Tracking Transparency (ATT) consent before allowing AdMob to access your advertising identifier. you may opt out of personalized ads at any time through your iOS device settings under Privacy & Security → Tracking.

pawd. participates in Google's rewarded ad program. when you choose to watch a rewarded ad, you earn Paw Points — pawd.'s in-app currency used to boost pets in the feed.

4. ai features — openai

pawd. uses OpenAI's API to power two features:

• scout (ai adoption guide) — when you chat with scout, your messages and relevant context (your preferences, the pet you're viewing) are sent to OpenAI to generate a response. conversation content is not stored by pawd. beyond your active session, but is subject to OpenAI's Privacy Policy.
• ai pet bios — pet profile bios shown in the app may be generated using OpenAI. only the pet's breed, age, and traits (no user data) are sent for bio generation.

pawd. does not use your personal data to train AI models. OpenAI's data handling is governed by their own privacy policy.

5. donations

when you choose to donate to a shelter through pawd., the app connects you directly to that shelter's own donation page (sourced from RescueGroups) or to a matched nonprofit on every.org. all donation transactions are completed on every.org's platform — pawd. does not process payments, hold funds, or store any payment card or bank account information. pawd. never receives, pools, or takes a cut of donation money.

6. data storage and security

your data is stored on Supabase, a cloud database platform hosted on AWS infrastructure. Supabase applies industry-standard security controls including encryption at rest and in transit (TLS/SSL). access to your data is restricted to authorized personnel and service processes.

while we take reasonable measures to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. data retention

we retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service. if you request deletion of your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law or legitimate business purposes (e.g., fraud prevention records).

unused Paw Points are forfeited upon account deletion and have no cash value.

8. your rights and choices

depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• correction — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• deletion — request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten").
• portability — request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• opt-out of personalized ads — managed through your iOS device settings.
• withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

to exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@usepawd.com. we will respond within 30 days. we may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

9. children's privacy

the pawd. service is not directed to individuals under the age of 13. we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. if we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will delete that information promptly. if you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at hello@usepawd.com.

10. california privacy rights (CCPA)

if you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used, the right to delete your personal information, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. pawd. does not sell personal information. to exercise your California rights, contact us at hello@usepawd.com.

11. third-party links and services

the service may contain links to third-party websites or integrate third-party services (e.g., shelter websites and data providers). this privacy policy does not apply to those third-party services. we encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you interact with.

12. changes to this policy

we may update this privacy policy from time to time. when we do, we will revise the "last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify users through the app or by email. your continued use of the service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

13. governing law

this privacy policy is governed by the laws of the United States. any disputes arising under this policy shall be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution provisions of our Terms of Service.

14. contact us

if you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this privacy policy or our data practices, please contact us:

pawd.
hello@usepawd.com
usepawd.com