Privacy Policy

Introduction and Scope of this Policy

Our Commitment to Protecting Your Personal Information

This Privacy Policy outlines the practices and procedures of SAVED BY GRACE PET ADOPTION SERVICE S INCORPORATED (“the Organization,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) concerning the collection, use, processing, and disclosure of personal information received from users, adopters, foster parents, volunteers, and donors (collectively, “Users” or “you”) through our website, digital platforms, application processes, and offline interactions. We are deeply committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the sensitive information entrusted to us, particularly given the nature of our work, which involves rigorous background checks and personal assessments necessary to ensure the long-term welfare of the animals in our care. Our dedication to saving animals is matched only by our dedication to maintaining the highest standards of data security and ethical handling of your personal data. This document serves as a comprehensive disclosure, providing you with a clear understanding of what data we collect, why we collect it, how it is secured, and the rights you possess regarding that information. This policy applies to all forms of personal data, whether processed electronically or in hard copy, in connection with our operations at our facility located at 7263 TURNER LAKE ROAD NW, OVINGTON, GA 30014-0000, and all associated digital services. By interacting with our organization, including applying to adopt, volunteer, or making a donation, you acknowledge and agree to the terms outlined in this detailed Privacy Policy. We recognize that the trust you place in us, both regarding our mission and your data, is paramount, and we continually strive to uphold that trust through proactive security measures and transparent data governance practices.

1. Information We Collect and the Necessity of Collection

Detailed Categories of Data Collected Across Our Life-Saving Operations

The types of personal information we collect are directly related to the specific interactions you have with SAVED BY GRACE PET ADOPTION SERVICE S INCORPORATED and are fundamentally necessary to fulfill our mission of ensuring successful, lifelong placements for animals in need. We do not collect any information that is not deemed essential for the safety of the animal or the operational efficiency of our non-profit services. The data collected falls into several distinct and clearly defined categories, reflecting the various roles and relationships you may hold with our organization, each with its own level of required detail.

A. Data Collected from Adoption and Foster Applications

For individuals seeking to adopt or foster a pet, we collect extensive personal and household information to conduct the necessary due diligence required for responsible placement. This category of data is the most sensitive and comprehensive, reflecting the high stakes involved in matching an animal to a stable and safe environment. Identification and Contact Data includes your full legal name, residential address (including verification of home ownership or landlord contact information), email address, primary and secondary phone numbers, and emergency contact details. Financial and Employment Data is collected to ensure the applicant’s capacity to provide ongoing care for a pet, covering information such as current employment status, name of employer, and an approximate annual household income range. Personal Background and Lifestyle Data is critical for behavioral matching and includes details about your household composition (number of adults, children, and their ages), existing pets (species, age, temperament, and vaccination status), and a detailed description of your daily routine and activity level. Most importantly, we require Third-Party References, specifically veterinary references for current or past pets, as well as personal references to vouch for your reliability and character, allowing us to confirm a history of responsible pet ownership. This data is collected under the legal basis of Contractual Necessity and Legitimate Interest to protect the welfare of the animals.

B. Data Collected from Volunteer and Staff Applications

Individuals applying to volunteer their time or for paid positions must submit information necessary for background checks, scheduling, and emergency preparedness. Identification and Contact Data is collected, similar to adoption applications. Additionally, we require information related to your Qualifications and Availability, which includes details on prior animal handling experience, specialized skills (e.g., medical, behavioral training, event management), and a detailed weekly schedule of availability. Due to the sensitive nature of working with vulnerable animals and the public, all volunteers and staff undergo mandatory, external Criminal Background Checks. This involves providing your Social Security Number (SSN) or equivalent national identifier, which is processed only through secure, third-party vendor platforms and is never stored directly on our internal servers. This collection is necessary to uphold the safety protocols of our organization and is grounded in the legal basis of Legal Obligation and Legitimate Interest to protect both our animals and our community members.

C. Data Collected from Donations and Financial Transactions

When you generously choose to support SAVED BY GRACE PET ADOPTION SERVICE S INCORPORATED through a financial contribution, we collect data necessary for processing the transaction, providing tax receipts, and maintaining donor relationship management. Transaction Data includes the donation amount, date, frequency (e.g., one-time, monthly), and payment method chosen. Payment Information, such as credit card numbers or bank account details, is never stored on our servers. All payment processing is outsourced to reputable, PCI-compliant third-party payment processors (e.g., PayPal, Stripe), who handle the data securely and provide us only with a transaction confirmation and the last four digits of the card number for verification purposes. Donor Recognition Data is also collected, which includes your preferred name for public recognition or anonymity, and your mailing address for the issuance of official IRS tax-deductible receipts, which is a Legal Obligation.

D. Data Collected from Website Interactions and General Inquiries

When you visit our website, submit a general contact form, or sign up for our organizational newsletter, we collect certain data for analytical, communication, and security purposes. Communications Data includes the content of your messages submitted via info@sgpas.site or our contact forms. Technical and Usage Data is automatically collected through cookies, server logs, and tracking technologies, which may include your Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type and version, time zone setting, operating system, and details about your interaction with our site (pages viewed, time spent, referral sources). This data is primarily used to monitor website performance, enhance user experience, and analyze the effectiveness of our online awareness campaigns, and is collected based on your Consent (via cookie preferences) and our Legitimate Interest in maintaining a functional, secure website.

2. How We Use the Information We Collect

Purpose-Driven Processing to Fulfill Our Non-Profit Mission

The personal information collected by SAVED BY GRACE PET ADOPTION SERVICE S INCORPORATED is used strictly for the purposes outlined in this policy, with every use directly tied to a specific, legitimate, and necessary function of our animal welfare operations. Our use of your data is categorized by the operational needs they serve, ensuring we remain focused on the successful outcome for every animal.

A. Operational Use for Vetting and Pet Placement

The core use of the extensive data collected in adoption and foster applications is for the rigorous vetting process designed to assess the safety and suitability of a prospective home. We use identification data to confirm identity; employment data to assess financial stability for long-term veterinary care; lifestyle data to ensure a proper behavioral match (e.g., matching a high-energy dog with an active family); and references (both personal and veterinary) to confirm a history of responsibility. This meticulous use of data minimizes the risk of adoption failure, which is paramount to our no-kill commitment. We specifically use previous vet records to ensure existing pets are current on vaccinations and preventative care, thereby protecting the health of the animal being adopted. Furthermore, data is used to generate mandatory legal contracts—specifically, the adoption or foster agreement—making this processing necessary for the performance of a contract with you. The data then forms part of the animal’s permanent placement file, which is maintained to fulfill our lifetime commitment to the pet.

B. Fundraising, Marketing, and Outreach

A necessary component of our non-profit sustainability is the use of data for fundraising and organizational outreach. Donor Data is used to process recurring or one-time transactions, issue accurate tax receipts in compliance with IRS regulations, and provide personalized acknowledgements of your generosity, which are critical for donor retention. With your explicit consent, Contact Data (email addresses) is used to send our organizational newsletter, which includes updates on successful adoptions, information about upcoming events, and urgent appeals for specific animals requiring expensive medical care. We analyze aggregated Usage Data to optimize our digital fundraising campaigns, determining which channels and messages yield the highest response rates, allowing us to allocate resources efficiently and ethically. You always maintain the right to opt-out of these communications at any time, and your decision will not impact your status as an adopter or volunteer.

C. Internal Operations, Security, and Legal Compliance

We utilize collected data to maintain the efficient and lawful operation of our facility. Volunteer and Staff Data is used for mandatory reporting, internal scheduling, payroll administration, and to confirm the validity of required background checks. Technical and Usage Data is crucial for diagnosing server problems, analyzing website security threats, preventing fraudulent activities, and managing internal IT systems, ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of all data we store. Finally, in rare and specific circumstances, data may be accessed and disclosed when we are under a Legal Obligation to do so, such as in response to a valid court order, subpoena, or government request related to an investigation, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, the safety of our animals, or the safety of the public. This commitment to compliance protects both the organization and the animals under our care.

3. Disclosure and Sharing of Your Information

Limited, Purpose-Driven Sharing with Trusted Third-Party Partners

SAVED BY GRACE PET ADOPTION SERVICE S INCORPORATED will not sell, rent, or lease your personal information to third parties for their independent marketing or commercial purposes. We only share data when it is absolutely necessary to execute our core mission functions, comply with legal requirements, or ensure the ongoing care and safety of an adopted pet. All third parties with whom we share data are required to execute comprehensive non-disclosure agreements and adhere to stringent security protocols that meet or exceed our own.

A. Sharing for Adoption Vetting and Pet Care

Sharing of data in the context of adoption is highly targeted and limited to essential partners. Veterinary Clinics are provided with the personal contact information (name, address, phone) of a prospective adopter to allow our Adoption Coordinator to contact them directly for reference checks regarding past or current pets, confirming a history of preventative care and responsible treatment. Foster Homes (who are treated as temporary, trusted agents of the Organization) are provided with necessary applicant details to facilitate introductions and temporary home visits, ensuring a seamless transition and allowing the foster parent to provide feedback on the animal-human match. In cases where a Home Check is required, only the necessary address and contact details are provided to the designated volunteer or staff member performing the verification, and they are prohibited from recording or retaining this data after the check is complete. This sharing is done strictly under the legal basis of Legitimate Interest for animal welfare protection.

B. Service Providers and Payment Processors

We utilize various third-party service providers to manage our operational infrastructure and process financial transactions securely. This includes Payment Gateways (as noted in Section 1.C) for processing donations, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems for managing adopter and donor relationships, Email Service Providers (ESPs) for sending newsletters (with consent), and Cloud Infrastructure Providers for secure data storage. These service providers only receive the minimal amount of personal information necessary to perform their contracted function and are contractually bound to maintain its confidentiality and security. For instance, our background check vendor receives only the data needed to perform the required legal checks, and not your adoption preferences or vet history.

C. Legal Compliance and Protection of Rights

We may disclose your personal information if required by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with legal processes (e.g., a search warrant, court order), protect the property or rights of SAVED BY GRACE PET ADOPTION SERVICE S INCORPORATED, or act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of Users, the public, or our animals. This disclosure is a Legal Obligation and is only undertaken after careful legal review.

4. Security Measures and Data Integrity

Our Multi-Layered Approach to Protecting Your Sensitive Data

The security of your personal information is a non-negotiable priority for SAVED BY GRACE PET ADOPTION SERVICE S INCORPORATED, and we employ a multi-layered security framework that combines technical, physical, and administrative safeguards to protect your data from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration. We recognize that the sensitive nature of the information we collect—especially home addresses, financial details, and background check data—demands a robust and proactive defense strategy.

Technical Safeguards: All data transmitted between your web browser and our servers is secured using industry-standard Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption, ensuring that all communications remain private and integral. For data stored digitally in our cloud infrastructure, we implement strong encryption at rest, meaning that all personal records are encoded and can only be accessed by authorized personnel using multi-factor authentication. Access to our internal administrative databases is restricted by the principle of least privilege, ensuring that staff members can only access the specific data required to perform their direct duties (e.g., a Volunteer Coordinator cannot access full donor financial records). We regularly update our software, patch vulnerabilities, and perform continuous monitoring to detect and mitigate potential security threats proactively.

Physical Safeguards: Any physical documents containing personal identifying information (e.g., printed applications, signed contracts) are stored in locked, secure cabinets within restricted-access areas of our facility at 7263 TURNER LAKE ROAD NW. Access to these areas is controlled via secure entry systems and limited to authorized senior staff only. Document disposal is managed through secure, cross-shredding procedures to prevent data recovery.

Administrative Safeguards: All employees, volunteers, and authorized contractors who handle personal information receive mandatory, comprehensive training on data privacy protocols, breach response procedures, and ethical data handling practices, emphasizing the critical importance of confidentiality. Our policies mandate strict disciplinary action for any breaches of these confidentiality standards. We also conduct regular internal audits and security reviews to test the effectiveness of our safeguards and ensure ongoing compliance with this policy.

5. Your Rights Regarding Your Personal Data

Empowering You with Control Over Your Information

Depending on your jurisdiction and relationship with SAVED BY GRACE PET ADOPTION SERVICE S INCORPORATED, you may be entitled to various rights regarding the personal data we hold about you. We are committed to facilitating the exercise of these rights and processing all verified requests in a timely and transparent manner. To exercise any of these rights, please submit a detailed request to info@sgpas.site.

A. The Right to Access and Information (Subject Access Request)

You have the right to request a confirmation regarding whether we are processing your personal data, and if so, to receive a copy of that data, along with detailed information about the purposes of the processing, the categories of data concerned, the recipients to whom the personal data has been or will be disclosed, and the expected retention period. This allows you to verify the accuracy and lawfulness of the data we hold, ensuring full transparency in our data practices.

B. The Right to Rectification (Correction)

If you believe that any personal data we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated—for example, a change in your address, phone number, or existing vet information—you have the right to request that we correct or update that information without undue delay. We are obligated to take reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy and currency of the data, especially as it pertains to the safety and long-term maintenance of the pet’s file.

C. The Right to Erasure (Right to Be Forgotten)

In certain circumstances, you have the right to request the deletion or removal of your personal data from our systems. This right applies when the data is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or when you withdraw consent and there is no other legitimate legal basis for processing. However, this right is subject to specific exceptions: we are legally required to retain certain financial and donation records for tax compliance purposes, and we maintain essential adoption data (including contract and vet reference verification) indefinitely to uphold our lifetime return policy commitment to the pet’s welfare, as this constitutes a Legitimate Interest that overrides the right to erasure.

D. The Right to Restrict Processing

You have the right to ‘block’ or suppress the processing of your personal data, effectively limiting the way we use it, under specific conditions. This may occur if you contest the accuracy of the data (while we verify its accuracy), if the processing is unlawful, or if we no longer need the personal data for the original purpose of processing but you require the data for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims.

E. The Right to Object to Processing

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data where the basis of processing is our Legitimate Interest (e.g., our fundraising appeals or general outreach communications). If you object, we will cease processing your data for those specific purposes unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights, and freedoms, or for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims (such as retaining contract data for litigation purposes).

F. The Right to Data Portability

Where processing is based on your consent or for the performance of a contract, and the processing is carried out by automated means, you have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format (e.g., a CSV file) and have the right to transmit that data to another organization without hindrance from us, where technically feasible.

G. The Right to Lodge a Complaint

Should you feel that SAVED BY GRACE PET ADOPTION SERVICE S INCORPORATED has not adequately addressed your request or has violated your data privacy rights, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority in your jurisdiction.

6. Data Retention, International Transfer, and Children’s Privacy

Specific Policies for Data Lifespan and Vulnerable Populations

A. Data Retention Policy

The duration for which SAVED BY GRACE PET ADOPTION SERVICE S INCORPORATED retains your personal data is dictated by its purpose and our legal obligations. Adoption and Foster Application Data (including contracts and reference verification) is retained indefinitely to fulfill our lifetime commitment to the welfare of the adopted animal, which includes our lifetime return policy. This retention is based on a compelling, overriding Legitimate Interest to ensure the pet can be safely returned and rehomed at any point in its life. Donor Financial Records are retained for a minimum of seven (7) years to comply with United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax and auditing requirements, fulfilling our Legal Obligation. Website Usage Data is typically anonymized or deleted after twenty-four (24) months. General Inquiry Data that does not lead to an adoption or donation may be purged after twelve (12) months.

B. International Data Transfer

As a US-based non-profit organization operating in Georgia, your data is primarily processed and stored on secure cloud servers located within the United States. If you are a resident of a European Economic Area (EEA) country, please be aware that your data will be transferred to and processed in the United States, a jurisdiction which may not have the same level of data protection laws as your home country. By submitting your personal data, you acknowledge and consent to this transfer, storage, and processing. Where we transfer data outside of the EEA, we implement appropriate safeguards, such as utilizing data transfer agreements based on the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), to ensure your data receives an adequate level of protection consistent with GDPR requirements. We continuously monitor these agreements to uphold our commitment to global data protection standards, even when transferring data outside of our primary jurisdiction.

C. Children’s Privacy

Our services are directed to adults who are 18 years of age or older and who are legally able to enter into adoption or volunteer agreements. SAVED BY GRACE PET ADOPTION SERVICE S INCORPORATED does not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under the age of 13. While we do collect data about children (their ages and names) as part of the family household composition section of an adoption application, this is collected from the legal adult applicant and is used solely to assess the suitability of a pet for a home with minors, and not for marketing or direct communication with the child. If we become aware that we have inadvertently received personal information from a child under 13 years of age without parental consent, we will take immediate steps to delete that information from our records. We encourage parents and legal guardians to supervise their children’s online activities and to help us protect their privacy by instructing them never to provide personal data to us without their permission.

7. Changes to this Privacy Policy and Contact Information

Final Review and Official Contact Details

A. Changes to the Policy

SAVED BY GRACE PET ADOPTION SERVICE S INCORPORATED reserves the right to update and revise this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, legal and regulatory requirements, or the evolution of our services. We will notify Users of any significant changes by posting the updated policy on our website and updating the “Last Updated” date at the bottom of this document. We encourage you to review this policy frequently to remain informed about how we are protecting your information. Continued use of our services after any such update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. For changes that are fundamentally material or require a shift in the way we process data based on a change in legal obligation, we will provide more proactive notification, such as via email, when technically feasible.

B. Contact Us for Inquiries

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, our data handling practices, or if you wish to exercise any of your data privacy rights as detailed in Section 5, please contact our designated Privacy Compliance Officer:

Organization Name: SAVED BY GRACE PET ADOPTION SERVICE S INCORPORATED Attention: Privacy Compliance Officer Mailing Address: 7263 TURNER LAKE ROAD NW, OVINGTON, GA 30014-0000 Email: info@sgpas.site

Please allow a reasonable period for us to investigate and respond to any request or complaint in accordance with applicable data protection laws.