1. Who is responsible for your information
Muddy Paws Pet Services is the data controller for the personal information described in this policy.
- Owner and operator
- Alice Satterthwaite, trading as Muddy Paws Pet Services
- Area served
- South Lakes, England
- Correspondence address
- [BUSINESS OR LEGAL CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS]
- Telephone
- 07393 640460
- Website
- muddypawspetservices.co.uk
2. Information I may collect
The information needed depends on the service you ask for. It may include:
- Your contact details: name, telephone number, email address, home address and postcode.
- Property access details: key-handling instructions, key-safe or alarm instructions and agreed access arrangements.
- Your pet’s details: name, age, breed, sex, neuter status, microchip information and usual routine.
- Health and veterinary information: vaccination and parasite-treatment information, medical conditions, medication instructions, emergency contacts and veterinary-practice details.
- Behaviour and care information: exercise needs, recall, anxiety, reactivity, known triggers, compatibility with people or animals, feeding and hydration routines.
- Booking and payment records: requested services, dates, invoices, payments and related correspondence.
- Photos and videos: images taken during walks or visits where you have agreed to receive updates or separately consented to public use.
I usually receive this information directly from you through the website enquiry form, email, telephone, WhatsApp, a Meet & Greet, booking documents or the client portal where available.
3. Why I use your information
To provide or arrange a service
I use information where it is needed to respond to an enquiry, prepare a quote, arrange a Meet & Greet, manage bookings, provide pet-care services, issue invoices and communicate about changes. The lawful basis is normally taking steps before entering into a contract or performing a contract with you.
For legitimate business interests
I may use relevant information to assess whether dogs can walk safely together, manage property access, keep appropriate care notes, maintain business records and send agreed operational updates. I only rely on legitimate interests where they are not overridden by your rights and interests.
For legal obligations
I keep records where required for tax, accounting, insurance or other legal obligations.
In an emergency
Where necessary to protect the life or health of a person or animal, I may use or share relevant contact, medical and veterinary information to obtain urgent assistance. Depending on the circumstances, this may rely on vital interests, contractual necessity or legitimate interests.
Consent
I ask for separate consent before using identifiable photos or videos of your pet for website or social-media promotion. You may withdraw that consent for future use at any time.
4. Who I may share information with
I do not sell or rent personal information. I only share information where it is reasonably necessary, including with:
- Website, hosting and client-portal providers used to receive enquiries, store account information or operate the website.
- WhatsApp and Meta where you choose to communicate through WhatsApp or receive photo and video updates.
- Email, telephone, banking, accounting or payment providers used in the ordinary administration of the business.
- Veterinary practices and emergency services where relevant information is needed in an emergency.
- Insurers, professional advisers, regulators or public authorities where disclosure is necessary for a claim, legal obligation or protection of legal rights.
Some technology providers may process information outside the UK. Where UK data-protection law requires it, I use providers that rely on an adequacy decision or another recognised safeguard for international transfers.
5. How long information is kept
I keep personal information only for as long as it is reasonably needed for the purpose for which it was collected, including providing services, responding to queries, handling complaints, meeting insurance requirements and establishing or defending legal claims.
- Active client and pet-care records are reviewed when the service relationship ends.
- Property-access codes and key records are removed when they are no longer needed. Physical keys are returned or handled as agreed with you.
- Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by HMRC. For a self-employed business this is generally at least five years after the relevant 31 January Self Assessment filing deadline, although longer periods can apply in some circumstances.
- Information that is no longer required is securely deleted, anonymised or destroyed.
6. How information is protected
I use proportionate physical and digital safeguards, including password-protected devices and accounts, access controls and secure key identification. Keys are not labelled with a client’s name or full address.
No internet or electronic-storage system can be guaranteed completely secure. If a personal-data breach creates a risk to your rights, I will take the steps required by data-protection law.
7. Your data-protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:
- ask for access to your personal information;
- ask for inaccurate or incomplete information to be corrected;
- ask for information to be deleted where there is no continuing lawful reason to keep it;
- ask for processing to be restricted;
- object to processing based on legitimate interests or to direct marketing;
- receive certain information you provided in a portable format where the legal conditions for portability apply; and
- withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis.
These rights are not absolute and exemptions may apply. To make a request, email alice@muddypawspetservices.co.uk. I will respond without undue delay and normally within one calendar month. I may ask for information needed to confirm your identity.
9. Questions and complaints
Please contact me first if you have a question or concern about how your information is handled:
alice@muddypawspetservices.co.uk
07393 640460
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office:
ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
ICO helpline: 0303 123 1113
10. Changes to this policy
This policy may be updated when services, suppliers or legal requirements change. The latest version will be published on this page with its revision date.