Your privacy, our priority

At Four Paws & Fortress, we understand that inviting someone into your home and entrusting them with the care of your pets requires a high level of trust.  We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling all personal information with discretion, professionalism and care. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information, ensuring your peace of mind.

Information we collect and why

To provide our bespoke in-home pet and property care services, we only collect specific details to provide safe, reliable, and professional pet and house sitting services. These help us maintain consistency, ensure homeowner property security, and deliver exceptional care:

  • Basic client information: Full name, home address, email address, mobile number, emergency contact details, and preferred communication method. This information is essential for communicating regarding bookings, confirming services and invoices, attending the correct property, contacting clients during sits or emergencies, and providing updates while clients are away.
  • Pet information: Pet names, breed, age, sex, veterinary information, feeding and medication instructions, behavioural and exercise information, welfare and medical information relevant to care, microchip or insurance details where provided. This is a core operational requirement to ensure the best possible care for your pets.
  • Household security and access: Alarm information and other security details needed for property access, security, and maintenance; household routines relevant to the booking; information relating to smart devices or CCTV where relevant.
  • Financial information: We may collect billing information, invoice and payment records, transaction references. Payment card details are processed securely via a third-party payment provider such as Stripe and are not stored directly by Four Paws & Fortress.
  • Website and technical data: When you use our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including IP address, browser/device information, website usage analytics, cookies and similar technologies.
  • Photos: During bookings, we may send photos, videos, or updates relating to your pets to provide reassurance and communication while you are away. With client permission, Four Paws & Fortress may also use selected pet photographs or short video clips for social media, website content, testimonials or promotional materials, including platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. 

We take care to protect client privacy and will not intentionally share full property addresses, alarm or security information, travel plans, personally sensitive information, identifiable details of children, private areas of the home without permission. Clients may request at any time that photographs or videos of their pets or property are not used for promotional purposes, and we will always respect those wishes. 

When we share your information

We only share client information when it is absolutely necessary to deliver safe and reliable pet care services. This may include sharing limited, relevant information with another trusted pet sitter working on behalf of Four Paws & Fortress in situations such as overlapping bookings, joint/2-person house sits, or scheduled cover arrangements.

Any information shared is strictly limited to what is reasonably required to care for your pets and home safely and may include:

  • Pet care instructions and routines
  • Emergency contact information
  • Property access details
  • Veterinary information where relevant

All trusted sitters are expected to handle client information confidentially and securely. We may also share information where legally required or in emergency situations involving pet welfare, property protection, or safety concerns.

How we secure your information

At Four Paws & Fortress, we take robust measures to ensure your personal information is kept private and secure:

  • We only collect information necessary to provide professional and safe pet and house sitting services.
  • Client information is stored securely using password-protected systems and access is restricted only to those trusted service providers directly involved in providing the agreed service.
  • Physical information, such as keys or printed instructions, is kept securely, and access is restricted only to those directly involved in providing the agreed service.
  • Sensitive details like property access instructions, alarm information, emergency contacts, and pet care records are treated confidentially and are never shared unnecessarily.
  • Where another trusted Four Paws & Fortress sitter is involved in a booking due to overlapping dates, joint sits, or scheduled cover, only the information required to safely care for your pets and home will be shared.

We also take reasonable steps to:

  • Keep devices and accounts password protected.
  • Limit access to client information.
  • Use secure payment providers for all transactions.
  • Regularly review and delete information that is no longer required.
  • Never sell or share client information for external purposes.

Your rights and choices

Clients have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about them, as well as request corrections, updates, or deletion of their information where appropriate.

If you would like to:

  • See what information we hold about you.
  • Correct inaccurate or outdated information.
  • Request deletion of your personal data.
  • Withdraw consent for marketing communications.
  • Ask questions about how your information is used.

Please contact Four Paws & Fortress directly using the contact details provided on our Contact page.

We will respond to privacy-related requests as promptly as possible and in accordance with applicable UK data protection laws. Please note that in some circumstances, we may need to retain certain information for legal, insurance, safety, accounting, or record-keeping purposes.