Hope’s Haven Dog Rescue Foundation (“we”, “our”, “us”) is a federally registered Canadian charity (BN 71391 7623 RR0001) based in Ontario. We care about the privacy of our adopters, fosters, donors, volunteers, and supporters. This policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and the rights you have over your information.
This policy applies to your use of hopeshaven.ca and any related services we operate. It is governed by Canadian federal privacy law, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and applicable Ontario law.
What we collect
We collect personal information when you:
- Submit an adoption application:name, email, phone, address, household details, references, and which dog you’re interested in.
- Apply to foster, volunteer to fly with a puppy, or surrender a dog: name, email, phone, and the relevant details for your request.
- Send a contact message: name, email, phone (optional), subject, and message.
- Make a donation: name, email, address (for tax receipts), donation amount, and payment method.
- Sign an adoption or foster contract: name, email, signature, and contract details.
We do not collect more than we need for the specific purpose of the form you fill out.
How we use your information
We use your information to:
- Process and review your application, donation, or message
- Match adopters with available dogs
- Send adoption contracts, invoices, donation acknowledgements, and CRA-compliant tax receipts
- Communicate with you about the dog you applied for or the donation you made
- Comply with our obligations as a Canadian registered charity
- Operate the dashboard our volunteers use to coordinate rescue work
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We do not use your information for marketing without your consent.
Where your data lives
Your information is stored in services we use to operate the charity:
- Supabase (Postgres database, US-East region) — our system of record
- Resend — transactional email delivery
- QuickBooks Online — accounting, invoicing, and tax receipts
- DocuSeal — contract signing platform
- Vercel — web hosting (US data centres)
Some of these providers are based in the United States, which means your data may be processed outside Canada. We choose providers with strong security practices. By using our site, you consent to this cross-border processing for the limited purposes described above.
Who we share it with
We share your information only with:
- Our volunteers and board members, on a need-to-know basis, to coordinate adoptions, fosters, contracts, and donations
- The service providers listed above, strictly for operating the services on our behalf
- The Canada Revenue Agency, when issuing official tax receipts (BN 71391 7623 RR0001)
- Law enforcement or regulators, only when legally required
We never sell your data. We never share it with third parties for their marketing purposes.
Cookies and tracking
We use cookies for these purposes:
- Session cookies — to keep volunteers logged into the admin dashboard
- Functional cookies— to remember your preferences (e.g. last selected filter)
We do not use advertising cookies. We do not use analytics that profile individual visitors.
Your rights
Under PIPEDA, you have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete
- Withdraw consent for future use, subject to our legal and contractual obligations
- Request deletion of your information from our records, where we are not required to keep it
To exercise any of these rights, email us at info@hopeshaven.ca with your request. We will respond within 30 days.
Children's privacy
Our forms are intended for use by adults (18+). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without parental consent. If you believe a child has submitted information through our site, please contact us and we will remove it promptly.
Security
We protect your information using:
- Transport encryption (TLS / HTTPS) for all data in transit
- Encryption at rest for the databases and storage we use
- Role-based access controls for our volunteers and staff
- Regular review of access permissions and security practices
No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable care to protect your information.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as our services evolve. When we do, we’ll update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. For material changes that affect how we use information you’ve already shared, we will notify you by email where reasonably possible.
Contact
For privacy questions, complaints, or to exercise your rights under PIPEDA:
Hope’s Haven Dog Rescue Foundation
Email: info@hopeshaven.ca
Charity registration: 71391 7623 RR0001
If you believe we have not addressed your concern adequately, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca.