Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: October 22, 2026

Zoe’s Animal Rescue Society (“Zoe’s Animal Rescue,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a volunteer-run registered Canadian charity based in Edmonton, Alberta. We respect your privacy and handle personal information according to the fair information principles that guide Canadian privacy law.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect through www.zoesanimalrescue.org (the “Site”), how we use and share it, and the choices you have.

Information We Collect

Information you give us. We collect personal information when you fill out a form or make a payment on the Site:

  • Adoption applications: your name and contact details, and your address and how long you’ve lived there. We also ask for your age range, the people and pets in your home (including children’s ages and whether anyone has allergies or asthma), and details about your home and yard. Where it applies, we ask for landlord or condo approval. We also ask for your veterinarian, your expected pet care costs and plans, and contact details for your references.
  • Foster and volunteer applications: your name and contact details, plus the information the application asks about your experience, availability and home.
  • Contact form: your name, email address, phone number and message.
  • Gift Donations and other purchases: your name, email address, billing address and order details. PayPal processes the payments. We do not receive or store your full credit card or bank account details.

Information about people you name. If you list references, household members or a veterinarian, please make sure they know you are sharing their information with us.

Information collected automatically. When you visit the Site, we and our service providers automatically collect some technical information. This includes your browser and device type, the pages you visit, how you arrived at the Site, and your approximate location based on your IP address. When you submit a form, our form system may also record your IP address to help prevent spam.

Information from giving platforms. You may give through a third-party platform such as CanadaHelps, ATB Cares or Rafflebox. Depending on the choices you make there, that platform may share your name, contact details and gift details with us.

How We Use Your Information

We use personal information to:

  • review adoption, foster and volunteer applications, check references, arrange meet and greets and home checks, and match animals with the right homes;
  • follow up on adoptions, including our requirement that adopted animals come back to us if they ever need a new home;
  • respond to your questions and messages;
  • process donations and Gift Donations, issue official donation receipts, and keep the financial records the Canada Revenue Agency requires registered charities to keep;
  • understand how people use the Site so we can improve it; and
  • protect the Site and our organization from spam, fraud and misuse.

We use your information only for the purposes described in this policy, or for purposes you have agreed to.

How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information.

We share it only when needed:

  • With volunteers and foster homes involved in your application. For example, we share it with the foster home caring for the animal you applied for so they can arrange a meet and greet.
  • With the references and veterinarian you list, when we contact them about your application.
  • With service providers that help us run the Site and our operations. These include our website host, our email provider, Google (website analytics) and PayPal (payment processing). They may use your information only to provide services to us.
  • When required by law, or when needed to protect the safety of people or animals.

Some of our service providers store or process information outside Canada, including in the United States. Information stored outside Canada may be accessed by the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of those countries.

Cookies and Analytics

Cookies are small files stored on your device. The Site uses:

  • Google Analytics. We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors use the Site. It sets cookies (_ga and ga*) that last up to two years. Google Analytics gives us combined reports about Site use. It does not give us your name or contact details. You can learn how Google uses information from sites that use its services and opt out with the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
  • Shopping cart cookies. WooCommerce, which runs our online shop, uses cookies to remember what is in your cart. These cookies do not store personal information.
  • Login cookies. These are used only by staff and volunteers who sign in to manage the Site.
  • PayPal cookies. PayPal sets its own cookies when you check out with PayPal.

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. If you do, parts of the Site, such as the shopping cart, may not work properly.

Third-Party Sites and Social Media

The Site links to other sites, including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, CanadaHelps, Rafflebox and our partners. Their privacy policies apply when you visit them. Some pages may include embedded content, such as a video or a social media feed. That content behaves as if you had visited the other site, and the other site may collect information about you.

How Long We Keep Information

  • Applications that do not lead to a placement: kept for up to two after the application is closed.
  • Adoption, foster and volunteer records: kept for as long as the adoption agreement or the foster or volunteer relationship continues, and for two years after it ends.
  • Donation and payment records: kept for as long as Canada Revenue Agency rules require, generally two to six years depending on the record.
  • Contact form messages: kept for as long as needed to respond, then two years after contact concludes.

How We Protect Your Information

The Site uses an encrypted (HTTPS) connection. Only volunteers who need form submissions can see them, and the accounts used to manage the Site are password protected. No website or email system is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we learn of a privacy breach that creates a real risk of significant harm, we will let the affected people know.

Children

You must be 18 or older to submit an application, donate or make a purchase on the Site. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children. Adoption applications ask adults about the people in their home, including children’s ages, so we can find the right match.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes take effect when they are posted on this page with a new effective date.

Contact Us

Please send questions, requests or concerns about your privacy to:

Zoe’s Animal Rescue Society
Attention: Privacy
P.O. Box 64231 Sherwood Park PO
Sherwood Park, AB T8B 0A5
info@zoesanimalrescue.org