1. Who we are
Homeward Paws is a mobile app and website that helps people in South Africa share information about missing, found and sighted animals so they can be reunited safely. Homeward Paws is operated by Digitack (Pty) Ltd, South Africa ("we", "us").
For the purposes of the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), Digitack (Pty) Ltd is the responsible party for the personal information described in this policy. Our Information Officer is [INFORMATION OFFICER NAME], who can be reached at info@homewardpaws.org.za.
This policy applies to the Homeward Paws Android app, this website and any related support channels.
2. The short version
- We collect what is needed to run your account and publish the reports you choose to share.
- Your home address, private holding locations, microchip and tag numbers and ownership evidence are never shown publicly.
- Your phone number and WhatsApp appear on a report only if you switch them on for that report.
- We do not sell your personal information.
- The app shows ads through Google AdMob, which uses your device's advertising ID. You can reset it or opt out of personalised ads in Android settings.
- You can delete your account in the app or from this website.
3. What we collect
Information you give us
| Category | Examples | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Email address, password (stored only as a secure hash by our authentication provider), first and last name, optional display name, optional profile photo | Yes, except display name and photo |
| Contact details | Mobile number, whether you use WhatsApp | Mobile number yes; WhatsApp optional |
| Home area | Province, city or town and suburb; optionally a map location for your area | Province, city and suburb yes |
| Animal profiles | Name, type, breed, sex, age, size, colours, markings, behaviour and health notes, up to three photos | Only if you register an animal |
| Private identification | Microchip, tag, band or brand numbers, hidden identifying features, ownership notes, optional veterinary practice | Optional |
| Reports and contributions | Missing, found and sighting reports, descriptions, photos, incident places and times, direction of travel, case updates, possible-match suggestions | Only when you post |
| Ownership claims and evidence | Your explanation of why an animal is yours, and evidence such as photos, records or microchip details | Only when you make a claim |
| Found-animal whereabouts | Where a found animal is being kept, and contact details for that place | Only for found reports |
| Beta testing | First name, email address, and optionally your phone model and area, if you sign up to test the app before launch | Only if you sign up |
| Safety and support | Content reports, blocks, messages to support, and your acceptance of our terms and this policy | As needed |
Information collected automatically
- Location. If you give permission, the app reads your device's precise location while you are using it, for example to fill in where you saw an animal or to show reports near you. We do not track your location in the background. You can always enter a place by hand instead.
- Device and app information. Device model, operating system version, app version, language and a push notification token so we can send alerts to your device. We do not collect your contacts, call logs, SMS messages or the list of other apps on your device.
- Usage and diagnostic information. Basic logs such as sign-in times, errors and crash reports, and IP addresses recorded by our servers, used to keep the service secure and working.
- Advertising information. Google AdMob collects your device's advertising ID and related information to show ads. See Advertising.
Information about other people
Reports can include information about other people, for example a description of a vehicle or a person seen with an animal. Only include what is needed to help an animal, and never post someone else's private details. See our terms of use.
4. How we use it
- To create and secure your account and verify your email address.
- To publish the reports, sightings and updates you choose to share, and keep a history of each case.
- To show you reports near your home area or a location you choose.
- To suggest possible matches between reports, using details such as animal type, colours, size, place and date. People, not the app, confirm a match.
- To send you notifications about cases you own or follow and, if you choose, new reports near you.
- To let people contact you about a report in the ways you have allowed.
- To review ownership claims, which only you and the relevant case participants can see.
- To moderate content, prevent fraud and abuse, enforce our terms and keep people and animals safe.
- To provide support, fix problems and improve the app.
- To show ads that keep the app free.
- To meet our legal obligations.
Under POPIA we process personal information because it is necessary to provide the service you asked for, because you have consented (for example to location access or optional notifications), because we have a legitimate interest in keeping the service safe, or because the law requires it. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.
5. What other people can see
Homeward Paws exists so that reports can be seen by people who might help. When you publish a report, the following is visible to anyone using the app or our website, including people without an account, and can be shared as a link:
- The animal's photos, description and safety notes.
- The general area where the animal was last seen or found: the suburb, town and province by default. You can choose to add a street name or a public landmark (for example a park or shopping centre). We never publish exact map coordinates or house numbers, and the app rejects house numbers in this field.
- For found reports, a general area only. Where the animal is being kept stays private.
- Your display name or first name, or "anonymous finder" on found reports if you choose.
- Your phone number and WhatsApp, only if you switch them on for that report.
- Public case updates and the report's status, such as reunited or closed.
Sightings you send on someone's missing report are private. They go only to the person who reported the animal missing (and our administrators if a safety review is needed), never to the public. A sighting contains the time and area, what you saw, an optional photo, your exact location only if you choose to share it from your device, and your phone number only if you switch that on for the sighting.
Our website's Animals near you page shows the same published missing reports. It doesn't show the reporter's name or phone number. If you tap Use my location, your browser works out your province on your own device; your location is never sent to us or stored.
Please don't put private details in a report's free-text fields or photos: no house numbers, full addresses, phone numbers you haven't chosen to show, or pictures that reveal where you live. Anything you type or upload in those places is public once the report is published.
7. Advertising
The app is free and shows static banner ads provided by Google AdMob. Ads never appear on the screens you use to report an animal. To show and measure ads, Google may collect your device's advertising ID, IP address, device information and interactions with ads, and may use cookies or similar technologies. Google's use of this information is governed by Google's privacy policy for partner apps.
You can reset or delete your advertising ID, or opt out of personalised ads, in your Android settings under Google, then Ads, or Privacy, then Ads, depending on your device.
8. Device permissions
| Permission | Why we ask | If you say no |
|---|---|---|
| Location (while using the app) | To fill in where an animal was seen or found, and to show nearby reports | Enter a place by hand or choose a suburb |
| Camera | To take a photo of an animal from inside the app | Choose an existing photo instead |
| None for your photo library | To attach photos you already have, the app opens Android's photo picker. Homeward Paws receives only the photos you pick and cannot see the rest of your gallery. | Not applicable |
| Notifications | To alert you about your cases, followed reports and nearby reports | Check updates in the app's notification centre |
We explain each permission in the app before Android asks you, and you can change permissions at any time in your device settings.
9. Where it is stored
Our data is hosted by Supabase in [HOSTING REGION]. Some service providers, including Google, may process information outside South Africa. When information leaves South Africa we rely on providers that are bound by data-protection terms giving protection comparable to POPIA, as section 72 of POPIA requires.
10. How we protect it
- All information is encrypted in transit between the app and our servers.
- Database access rules check every request, so members cannot read each other's private information.
- Ownership evidence is kept in private storage and opened only through short-lived, signed links for authorised people.
- Administrative access is limited to authorised staff, and administrative actions are logged.
- Secret server keys are never included in the app.
No system is perfectly secure. If a security compromise affects your personal information, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as POPIA requires.
11. How long we keep it
| Information | How long |
|---|---|
| Account and profile information | Until you delete your account |
| Animal profiles and private identification | Until you delete the animal profile or your account |
| Draft reports | Until you publish or delete them, or delete your account |
| Published reports and case history | While your account exists. When an alert is closed or the animal is reunited, it is removed from public browsing and its reference shows only that the alert ended; the case history stays in the reporter's account. When you delete your account, see section 12. |
| Ownership evidence | Deleted 90 days after the claim is closed, or when you delete your account, whichever is first |
| Beta sign-up details | Until the beta programme ends, or sooner if you ask us to remove you |
| Notifications | 12 months |
| Moderation, safety and abuse records | Up to 24 months after the event, to prevent repeat abuse and fraud |
| Server and security logs | Up to 90 days |
| Backups | Overwritten on a rolling cycle of up to 30 days |
We may keep information for longer where a law requires it or where it is needed for a legal claim, and only for as long as that need lasts.
12. Deleting your account and data
When you delete your account we:
- Delete your account, profile, contact details, home area, profile photo and push tokens.
- Delete your animal profiles, their photos and private identification details.
- Delete your drafts, follows, notification settings and ownership evidence.
- Close your active reports and stop their alerts.
- Remove your name, contact details, photos and exact locations from your published reports and contributions. A minimal anonymous record of each case (animal type, general area, dates and outcome) may remain so that linked cases and other people's histories stay accurate.
We complete deletion within 30 days of confirming your request. Copies in backups are overwritten within a further 30 days. Moderation records may be kept as described in How long we keep it. We also ask our service providers to delete information they processed for us. Information held by Google for advertising is controlled through your Google and Android settings.
You can also delete individual items without deleting your account: delete an animal profile, a draft or a photo in the app, or ask us to remove specific information by emailing info@homewardpaws.org.za.
13. Your rights
Under POPIA you have the right to:
- Ask whether we hold personal information about you and request a copy of it.
- Ask us to correct, update or delete it.
- Object to processing on reasonable grounds, and object to direct marketing.
- Withdraw consent where we rely on it.
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforegulator.org.za.
To use these rights, email info@homewardpaws.org.za from the address linked to your account. We may need to confirm your identity first, and we will respond within 30 days.
14. Children
Homeward Paws accounts are for people aged 18 and older. Younger people may browse public reports, and should ask a parent or guardian to post or contact anyone for them. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will delete it. Our child safety standards explain how we deal with any content that endangers children.
15. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as Homeward Paws develops. We will change the effective date above and, for significant changes, tell you in the app before they take effect.
16. Contact us
Email: info@homewardpaws.org.za (start your subject line with "Privacy")