Privacy policy

Collection of Information 

We only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for our charitable work and fundraising activities. This may include: 

• your name, address, email and phone number; 

• donation history and payment details; 

• subscription preferences (e.g. newsletters, event invitations); and 

• volunteering or campaign participation details. 

We usually collect personal information directly from you when you: 

• make a donation (online, by mail, phone, or in person); 

• sign up to receive updates or join our supporter list; 

• apply to volunteer or participate in fundraising activities; 

• request information from us; 

• apply for, or receive, a dog through one of our programs; or 

• engage with our campaigns, events, surveys or merchandise. 

When browsing our website, we may collect information about how you use and interact with our website. We use that information for purposes including recognising visitors to our website, improving the website and tailoring the website to your preferences. Please see our cookie policy on our website for more information. 

If you are a recipient of one of our dogs, we may also collect personal information concerning your profession or occupation or job title. 

In addition, if you are a recipient of one of our dogs, we may also collect certain sensitive information (such as health information, disability-related assessments, allergies or disabilities) where it is reasonably necessary for our functions, including assessing eligibility for our services, managing risks and duty of care, tailoring placements of dogs and support, meeting our legal and funding obligations and responding to complaints. 

We will only collect sensitive information with your consent or where otherwise permitted by law. We do not adopt, use or disclose government-related identifiers (such as Medicare numbers) except as allowed under the APPs. 

If you choose not to provide certain personal information, we may be unable to process your application to participate in one of our programs or to be a volunteer, process a donation, issue a tax receipt, assess program eligibility, or provide some services. 

Use of Third Party Payment Processors 

When you make an online donation or purchase through our website or a fundraising platform, your payment information is stored and processed securely by a third-party provider such as Stripe, PayPal, BPay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Salesforce or through similar services. 

These providers collect and process payment information (such as credit/debit card details) directly on our behalf. In those circumstances, we do not collect or store your full payment details.  

We only use reputable payment processors that comply with industry security standards (such as PCI-DSS) to help ensure your information is protected. 

In such circumstances where your payment is processed securely by a third-party provider, your information will be handled in accordance with those providers’ privacy policies. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these providers to understand how they handle your information. 

Online technologies 

We use cookies and analytics tools on our website. Please see our cookie policy on our website for more information. 

We do not make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects using solely automated decision-making. If this changes, we will provide clear information about the logic involved and your options. 

Storage and Security 

We may hold your information in either electronic or hard copy form including in email or SMS databases.  In the case of electronic information, we hold your personal information on electronic systems that are on our premises and in the facilities of our trusted information technology service providers. Those systems include password-protected systems and secure servers. 

We take reasonable steps to ensure your personal information is protected from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Those steps include technical and organisational steps to protect security including limiting access to your personal information to only staff who need access in order to perform their duties and ensuring that staff receive privacy training. Authorised personnel and service providers who handle personal information are bound by confidentiality obligations.  

We may hold your information in either electronic or hard copy form.  In the case of electronic information, we hold your personal information on electronic systems that are on our premises and in the facilities of our information technology service providers. 

Personal information is destroyed or de-identified when no longer needed or required to be kept. 

Please note that while we take steps to secure personal information, transmission over the internet carries inherent risks. 

Disclosure to overseas service providers and other recipients 

Some service providers that host or process data for us are located outside Australia or they may be based in Australia and may use subcontractors or affiliates located overseas.  The countries in which the overseas recipients and facilities are likely to be located are India and the USA. 

Before disclosing personal information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure recipients will handle it in accordance with Australian privacy law. 

Please also note that when making payments as described in the section above in respect of ‘Use of Third Party Payment Processors’, such providers may transfer data overseas. Please review their privacy policies for details of cross-border processing. 

Use of Information 

We use personal information for purposes including: 

• processing donations and issuing receipts; 

• thanking and recognising supporters; 

• sending updates about our work, campaigns, and impact; 

• inviting you to participate in fundraising or volunteering activities; 

• complying with legal and regulatory obligations; 

• conducting research and analysis to improve our fundraising and engagement; and 

• process and respond to complaints. 

If you are a client, we may also use your information to: 

• assess eligibility for our services; 

• research, monitor and evaluate our services so we can continually improve our services and develop new services; 

• advocate for awareness and improved outcomes; 

• meet our funding, professional and legal obligations (including our duty of care) in providing you with our services; 

• process and respond to complaints; and 

• provide information to third parties as authorised or required by law. 

We may also use your information in line with your consent and preferences. 

We may, from time to time, collaborate with trusted charitable organisations that share similar values and causes. We do not sell donor lists or share information with commercial organisations. 

Disclosure  

We may disclose your personal information to: 

• our employees, related bodies corporate, contractors or service provider for the purposes of operating our website or our business, fulfilling requests by you, and to otherwise provide products and services to you including web hosting providers, IT service providers, mailing houses, couriers, payment processors, data entry service providers, electronic network administrators, debt collectors, and professional advisors such as accountants, solicitors, business advisors and consultants; 

• suppliers and other third parties with whom we have commercial relationships, for business, marketing and related purposes; 

• professional advisors such as accountants, lawyers, business advisors and consultants; 

• insurers, insurance investigators, credit providers, courts, tribunals and regulatory authorities as agreed or authorised by law; 

• credit reporting or reference agencies; 

• any organisation for any authorised purpose with your express consent; 

• to process and respond to any access request or complaint made by you, and 

• to comply with any law, rule or regulation. 

Direct marketing 

We may use your personal information to send you updates, communications and direct marketing materials if you have opted-in to receive then.  You can opt-out at any time using the opt-out or unsubscribe facility in each email that we send, or you can contact our Privacy Officer using the contact details below.    

Our electronic communications sometimes use technologies that collect information about how you interact with the communications and their content. We use that information for analytical purposes, to understand what you are interested in, and to improve our communications.  

We do not use your sensitive information for direct marketing without your consent, and we do not share your personal information with other organisations for their marketing without your consent. We will action opt-out requests free of charge and within a reasonable period. 

Online privacy for children and young people 

Our online services and websites are designed primarily for adults.  Where we interact with children or young people online, we take extra steps to protect their information.  We will comply with the forthcoming Children’s Online Privacy Code once registered, including age-appropriate design and privacy-by-default measures, and will update this policy accordingly. Parents/guardians can contact us about a child’s information. 

Accessing and correcting your Information 

You can request access to the personal information we hold about you, update or update your information, change your communication preferences, or request deletion of your information at any time by contacting our Privacy Officer (details below). In order to protect your privacy, we may ask you to verify your identity.  We aim to respond to your request within a reasonable period, generally within 30 days.  We do not charge a fee to make a request. If reasonable, we may charge for providing access (for example, for copying). 

There may be instances where we cannot grant you access to the personal information we hold.  For example, we may need to refuse access if granting access would interfere with the privacy of others or if it would result in a breach of confidentiality.  If that happens, we will give you written reasons for any refusal and the mechanisms available to you if you wish to complain about the refusal. 

If we do not agree that there are grounds for amending your personal information, we will add a note to the personal information stating that you believed the personal information was incorrect, incomplete or inaccurate. We will also provide you with a written notice detailing the reason for the refusal and the mechanisms available to you if you wish to complain about the refusal.  We will not charge for making any corrections to your personal information. 

Retention and deletion 

We keep personal information only for as long as needed for our functions and legal obligations (e.g. donation/financial records are typically retained for at least 7 years). Within a reasonable period after that time, we then securely destroy or de-identify the relevant information.  

If you request deletion of your information, we will take reasonable steps to remove it unless we are legally required to retain it (e.g. donation records for tax purposes).  However, we may need to retain some records to comply with our administrative, legal or funding requirements. 

How to complain 

If you would like to complain about our handling of your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer first (details below).  Please include details of your concerns and any supporting information. We may ask you to provide the details in writing so that we can be sure that the details are correct and that we understand your complaint correctly. 

We will acknowledge your complaint and aim to respond within 30 days.  Our Privacy Officer will discuss your concerns with you and  will attempt to confirm with you your understanding of the conduct relevant to the complaint and what you expect as an outcome. 

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of our handling of your complaint, you may take your complaint to the Privacy Commissioner at the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).  The contact details for the OAIC are available from the OAIC’s website at www.oaic.gov.au.