Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

PawPals ("we", "us", "our") is a pet adoption platform built for Sri Lanka. We operate the PawPals mobile application and the website at paw-pals.lk. We are committed to protecting your personal information and being transparent about how we use it.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following information when you use PawPals:

• Mobile phone number — collected when you register, used to verify your identity via OTP (one-time password).
• Display name — a first name you choose to show on your profile and listings.
• District or city — to help show you relevant local listings.
• Pet listing content — photos, descriptions, and details you post when creating a listing.
• WhatsApp number — included in your listing so interested adopters can contact you. This is visible to other users on your listing page.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Verify your identity and prevent fraudulent accounts
• Display your listings to other users of the app
• Allow interested adopters to contact you via WhatsApp
• Improve the app and fix issues
• Send important service notifications (not marketing)

4. What We Don't Do

• We do not sell your personal data to any third party
• We do not display your full phone number publicly — only the WhatsApp number you choose to include on listings
• We do not send marketing messages without your consent
• We do not share your data with advertisers

5. Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored securely on Supabase infrastructure hosted in AWS data centres. We use industry-standard encryption for data in transit (HTTPS) and at rest. Access to your data is strictly limited to the PawPals team.

OTP codes used for verification are never stored after verification is complete.

6. Third-Party Services

PawPals uses the following third-party services:

• Supabase — database and authentication
• Cloudinary — photo storage and delivery
• SMS provider — OTP delivery to your phone number
• Google AdMob — in-app advertising (non-targeted)

Each of these services has their own privacy policy. We only share the minimum data required for these services to function.

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate information on your profile
• Delete your account and all associated data
• Withdraw consent at any time by deleting your account

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the address below. You can delete your account yourself in the app under Profile → Settings → Delete account, or see how to delete your account and what gets removed.

8. Children's Privacy

PawPals is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via the app or by updating the "last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of PawPals after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data, please contact us.