Privacy Policy for Haney Animal Hospital

1. Introduction

Haney Animal Hospital (#112-11865 227 St, Maple Ridge, BC V2X 6H8) is committed to protecting the privacy of our clients and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, with whom we share it, and what choices you have. It applies to our website at haneyanimalhospital.com and to all services we provide.

Our digital marketing is managed by VSA Vet Media Inc., a veterinary-focused digital marketing agency, which acts as a service provider on our behalf. All data collected through our website and digital services is handled in accordance with this policy and with applicable Canadian and international privacy law, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the British Columbia Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you interact with us through our website or contact us directly, you may provide:

Contact details such as your name, phone number, email address, and mailing address
Pet information including species, breed, name, age, and health history relevant to your appointment
Appointment requests, online form submissions, and service inquiries
Payment information when purchasing products through our online store (processed by a third-party payment provider; we do not store full card details)
Messages sent through our website contact form, chatbot, or automated phone attendant
Consent preferences recorded through our cookie consent tool

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically by our analytics and tag management platforms:

Device and browser type, operating system, and screen resolution
IP address and approximate geographic location
Pages visited, time spent on each page, and navigation path
Referring website or search query that brought you to our site
Cookie identifiers associated with your session and, where consented, with advertising and analytics purposes

This information is collected using website analytics platforms and tag management tools. It is used in aggregate to improve our website and understand how visitors find and use our services.

2.3 Communication Platforms

We use third-party communication and scheduling platforms to manage appointment reminders, follow-up messages, and client communications. When you provide your phone number or email address, that information may be transmitted to these platforms to facilitate communication. These platforms are bound by data processing agreements and are not permitted to use your information for their own purposes.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Scheduling and managing veterinary appointments
Communicating with you about your pet’s care, appointment reminders, and follow-up
Processing online store purchases and product refill requests
Responding to service inquiries submitted through our website or by phone
Improving our website, services, and marketing based on aggregate analytics
Displaying relevant advertising to people who have previously visited our website, where you have consented to marketing cookies
Complying with legal and regulatory obligations
Protecting the security of our systems and preventing fraud

4. SMS and Text Message Communications

With your consent, we may send you SMS or text messages for appointment reminders, follow-up communications, and service updates. Standard message and data rates from your mobile carrier may apply. Message frequency varies based on your appointment schedule and preferences.

You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying STOP to any message we send. Reply HELP for assistance. You may also opt out by contacting us directly by phone or email using the contact information in Section 16, or by any other reasonable method. We will process your opt-out request within ten business days.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

5.1 Types of Cookies We Use

Our website uses three categories of cookies. Your choices in our cookie consent banner control which non-essential cookies are active on your device.

Essential Cookies — Required for the website to function. These cookies enable core features such as page navigation, form submission, and security. They cannot be disabled.

Statistics Cookies — Used to understand how visitors interact with our website. Data collected through these cookies is aggregated and anonymized where possible. Active only with your consent.

Marketing Cookies — Used to display relevant advertising to visitors who have previously visited our website, including through our online advertising and social media advertising platforms. Active only with your consent.

5.2 Cookie Consent

When you first visit our website, a cookie consent banner will ask for your preferences. You may accept all categories, select only certain categories, or decline all non-essential cookies. Your preferences are saved and can be updated at any time by accessing the cookie settings link in our website footer. Our cookie consent infrastructure is configured by VSA Vet Media Inc. on our behalf.

5.3 Global Privacy Control and Universal Opt-Out Mechanisms

Our website recognizes the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal and other universal opt-out mechanisms (UOOM) where required by applicable law. If your browser or device transmits a GPC signal, we will treat it as a request to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes. This applies to residents of jurisdictions where such recognition is legally required.

5.4 Online Advertising and Remarketing

We use online advertising platforms and social media advertising platforms to show advertisements to people who have previously visited our website. This is commonly referred to as remarketing or retargeting. These platforms may set cookies on your device (with your consent) to recognize you on other websites and deliver relevant ads based on your visit to our site.

We do not use remarketing to target advertising outside a local geographic radius around our clinic. We do not build audience profiles based on sensitive health information.

You may opt out of interest-based advertising at any time using the following tools:

Google Ads Settings: google.com/settings/ads
Network Advertising Initiative opt-out: networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp

Opting out does not mean you will stop seeing ads. It means that ads you see will no longer be based on your visit to our website.

6. Third-Party Services

We work with third-party service providers to operate our website and deliver our services. We share information with these providers only to the extent necessary for them to perform their functions. They are not permitted to use your information for their own purposes. Third-party service providers used in connection with our website and operations include providers in the following functional categories:

Website analytics platforms — to measure website traffic and visitor behavior in aggregate
Tag management platforms — to deploy and manage website tracking code
Online form and appointment booking providers — to receive and route appointment requests and contact form submissions
Communication and scheduling platforms — to send appointment reminders and client communications by phone, email, and SMS
Website hosting providers — to store and serve our website files
Online store and payment processing providers — to facilitate purchases through our online store and process payment information securely
Online advertising platforms — to display advertisements to past website visitors on other websites and platforms, where you have consented to marketing cookies
Social media advertising platforms — to display advertisements on social media networks to past website visitors and similar audiences, where you have consented to marketing cookies

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

7. AI-Assisted Tools

7.1 No AI Used for Medical Decisions

No artificial intelligence tool used in connection with our website or communications is used to make medical decisions about your pet. All clinical decisions are made by licensed veterinary professionals.

7.2 Call Recording

Calls to our clinic may be recorded for quality assurance and training purposes. Recordings may be processed by AI-assisted tools to generate transcriptions, categorize the nature of the call, and suggest follow-up actions for our team. Recordings are retained for a limited period and are not shared with third parties except as part of normal service provider relationships described in Section 6.

7.3 Automated Communications

We use automated communication tools to send appointment reminders, follow-up messages, and service notifications. These messages are generated based on your appointment and contact information. You may opt out of automated communications by contacting us using the information in Section 16.

7.4 AI Interaction Disclosure

Our website may include a chatbot or automated phone attendant powered by artificial intelligence. When you interact with these tools, you may be communicating with an automated system rather than a human team member. We deploy these tools in compliance with applicable law. If you prefer to speak with a person, you may call us directly or request a callback.

7.5 Your Rights Regarding AI

Where applicable law grants you rights regarding automated decision-making or profiling, you may exercise those rights by contacting us as described in Section 16. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

8. Data Protection and Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the personal information we hold against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Our website uses SSL encryption for data transmission. Form submissions are routed to our team by email and are not stored in an unsecured database on our website.

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we take appropriate precautions, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8.1 Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that creates a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected individuals and the relevant regulatory authority as required by applicable law.

9. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you are located, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

The right to access the personal information we hold about you
The right to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information
The right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions
The right to restrict or object to certain processing of your personal information
The right to data portability in certain circumstances
The right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising
The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 16. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

If you are a resident of British Columbia, you have rights under the BC Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). If you are a resident of Canada, you have rights under PIPEDA. Residents of jurisdictions with applicable US state consumer privacy laws may also exercise rights under those laws by contacting us.

10. Sharing of Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

With service providers who perform functions on our behalf, as described in Section 6, under appropriate data processing agreements
With our digital marketing agency, VSA Vet Media Inc., which acts as a service provider for website management and digital marketing services
With advertising and social media platforms to display relevant advertising to past website visitors, where you have consented to marketing cookies (this constitutes “sharing” under applicable US state consumer privacy laws)
When required by law, court order, or governmental authority
To protect the rights, property, or safety of our practice, clients, or the public
In connection with a business transaction such as a merger or acquisition, where personal information may be transferred as a business asset

You may opt out of the sharing of your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising by using the cookie consent settings on our website, activating a Global Privacy Control signal in your browser, or contacting us directly using the information in Section 16.

11. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately using the information in Section 16 and we will take steps to delete that information.

12. Links to External Websites

Our website may contain links to external websites operated by third parties. These links are provided for your convenience. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites and encourage you to review the privacy policy of any site you visit.

Our website includes social media features and links to social media platforms including Meta (Facebook and Instagram). Any interaction you have with these features may be governed by the privacy policy of the relevant social media platform. Haney Animal Hospital is not responsible for the data practices of Meta or any other social media platform. Information you share publicly on social media platforms is subject to those platforms’ terms and privacy policies.

13. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, to provide our services, and to comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations. When information is no longer required, we delete or anonymize it in a secure manner.

Veterinary records may be subject to minimum retention requirements under applicable professional regulations. Retention periods for these records are determined by those requirements.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website after a change constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Website Design and Management

Our website is designed, built, and maintained by VSA Vet Media Inc., a veterinary-focused digital marketing agency. VSA Vet Media Inc. acts as a service provider under PIPEDA and, where applicable, as a service provider under applicable US state consumer privacy laws. VSA Vet Media Inc. accesses and processes data collected through our website solely to provide contracted services on our behalf and is not permitted to use that data for its own purposes.

VSA Vet Media Inc. has configured our cookie consent infrastructure, analytics platforms, tag management tools, and advertising integrations in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law. If you have questions about how your data is handled in connection with our website, please contact us using the information in Section 16.

16. Contact Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or have a concern about how your personal information has been handled, please contact us:

Haney Animal Hospital

Address: #112-11865 227 St, Maple Ridge, BC V2X 6H8

Phone: (604) 476-2525

Email: haneyanimalhosp@gmail.com

We will respond to privacy inquiries within the timeframe required by applicable law. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia or the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.