Privacy Policy

Language: This is a translation of the German Datenschutzerklärung. If the two versions differ, the German version prevails.

1. Controller and contact

The controller within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) and the German Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act (TDDDG) is, unless section 4 says otherwise:

Data protection officer: Given the size and activities of our business, we are not required to appoint a data protection officer under § 38 BDSG. Please send privacy requests directly to the contact address above.

“We” and “us” means Cogswell IT. “You” means you as a visitor of the website or user of the app, usually as the owner or an employee of a dog-walking business or boarding kennel. Dog owners who are clients of such a business will find specific information in section 31, and for bookings through the marketplace in section 26a. Cogswell IT is based in Germany; for users in the United States and Canada, see section 30 as well.

2. Summary

• Local first. Everything you enter in the app is stored on your device. Without a server account we do not receive this data. It then only leaves your device when you share it yourself (e.g. a backup file, a PDF by email) or when a feature uses an Apple service or the weather service (sections 11 to 13).
• Server account is optional. With a server account you can synchronise data, send email through our server and use the client portal, the live link and online payment. For your clients' data we act only on your behalf.
• App without tracking. The app contains no advertising, analytics, crash-reporting or tracking SDKs, no advertising identifier (IDFA), no App Tracking Transparency and no fingerprinting. We do not sell data.
• Websites: ad measurement only with consent. On getdogwalkers.com, getdogwalkers.de and the marketplace we only use Meta Pixel, Google Analytics 4, Google Ads, TikTok Pixel and LinkedIn Insight Tag if you consent in the cookie banner and we have set up the respective service. Without consent we count visits at most without cookies, using Cloudflare Web Analytics (sections 5.2 and 5.7 to 5.9).
• Marketplace. If you book or send a request through the marketplace, we pass your details to the business you chose; payment goes through Stripe directly to the business (section 26a).
• Location only when needed. The app only requests location “While Using the App” and uses it only during a running live walk, then also while the screen is locked. Positions only reach the server during a live walk with a server account.
• On-device AI. On Apple devices the AI walk report is created with Apple Intelligence directly on the device; there is no cloud AI provider.
• Pre-registration only with consent. For the launch notification we only keep your email address once you confirm it (double opt-in), and delete it no later than three months after the launch campaign.
• We never see payment details. In-app purchases are handled by Apple (App Store) or Google (Google Play), your clients' online payments by Stripe on your own Stripe account.

3. Definitions

• Personal data is any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (Art. 4(1) GDPR), such as name, address, email address, IP address or location. Information about dogs is not personal data in itself, but becomes personal data once it is linked to an owner.
• Processing is any operation on such data, from collection and storage to transfer and deletion (Art. 4(2) GDPR).
• Controller is whoever decides on the purposes and means of processing (Art. 4(7) GDPR).
• Processor is whoever processes data on behalf of and on the instructions of a controller (Art. 4(8), Art. 28 GDPR); under US and Canadian law this corresponds roughly to a “service provider”.
• Business means the dog-walking business or boarding kennel using the app. On the server such a business is technically called a “tenant”.
• Server account is the business's optional account on our server at app.getdogwalkers.com.
• Token link is a link containing a random, unguessable string (40 hexadecimal characters, 160 bits of randomness) that lets dog owners access their area of the client portal without a password.
• Third country is a country outside the European Union and the European Economic Area.

4. Scope and roles

4.1 What this policy covers

This policy covers the iOS app “GetDogWalkers” (including its widgets, Live Activity and Siri shortcuts), our server with the client portal at app.getdogwalkers.com and the websites getdogwalkers.com and getdogwalkers.de including pre-registration. It also covers the Android app “GetDogWalkers” (specifics in section 25a), the marketplace at marketplace.getdogwalkers.com and marketplace.getdogwalkers.de (section 26a) and our pages on Instagram and Facebook (section 26b).

4.2 Who is responsible for what

• We as controller process: website access data, pre-registrations, consents from the cookie banner and the cookieless reach measurement, support requests, the data of your server account (business name, email address, password hash, subscription status), technical server logs, data for abuse prevention and the marketplace data (searches, bookings, requests, messages, reviews, customer accounts; section 26a).
• Joint controllers with us (Art. 26 GDPR) are, only if you have consented, Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn for collecting and transmitting data via their pixels on our websites, and Meta for the statistics (Insights) of our Instagram and Facebook pages. What happens afterwards at these providers is their sole responsibility (section 5.9, section 26b).
• You (your business) as controller decide about the data of your clients and their dogs, your staff, your appointments, walks and invoices. This applies both to local storage in the app and to storage on our server. You need your own legal basis for this (usually the care contract, Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) and inform your clients yourself. If staff use the app, you are also responsible for their data (§ 26 BDSG).
• We as processor: if you store your clients' data on our server (synchronisation, client portal, live link, email delivery, payment links), we process it solely on your behalf and on your instructions (Art. 28 GDPR), or as your service provider under US and Canadian law. A data processing agreement (DPA) is available on request via our contact form.
• Independent controllers are Apple (App Store, in-app purchases, iCloud, Apple Intelligence, Maps, Siri), Google (Google Play, in-app purchases through Google Play, Android backup, Google Ads), Stripe (payment processing) and the businesses you book or contact through the marketplace (for providing their service), for the processing they carry out under their own responsibility.

Data that the app only processes on your device does not reach us. We are not the controller for such processing; we still describe it so you know what the app does.

4.3 Storing and reading information on your device (TDDDG)

The app stores information on your device (database file, settings and, on iPhone and iPad, the keychain) and, with your permission, accesses device features such as location. Without consent, the websites only store what is strictly necessary for a service you explicitly requested (§ 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG): your cookie choice, that you have read the privacy notice and, on the marketplace, details for features you use (list in section 5.2). Cookies and similar technologies for statistics and advertising (section 5.9) are only used with your consent (§ 25(1) TDDDG).

5. Our websites

5.1 Hosting and access data (Cloudflare)

The websites getdogwalkers.com and getdogwalkers.de (for businesses) and marketplace.getdogwalkers.com and marketplace.getdogwalkers.de (marketplace) are delivered via Cloudflare Pages by Cloudflare, Inc., 101 Townsend St, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. Small programs at Cloudflare (Pages Functions) redirect between the domains, generate the marketplace's business profiles and regional pages and, once set up, insert the cookie banner and the reach measurement into the pages; they store no data about you.

• Purpose: delivering the pages, fending off attacks, stable operation.
• Data: IP address, time, page requested, referrer, browser identifier (user agent), amount of data transferred.
• Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR; our legitimate interest is the secure and stable operation of the website.
• Recipient: Cloudflare as processor; a data processing agreement is in place with Cloudflare.
• Third country: USA; Cloudflare is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (Art. 45 GDPR), and EU Standard Contractual Clauses apply in addition (Art. 46(2)(c) GDPR).
• Retention: according to Cloudflare's settings; we do not analyse access logs ourselves.
• Required? Without this data the website cannot technically be delivered.

Cloudflare's privacy policy: cloudflare.com/privacypolicy.

5.2 Cookies, browser storage and cookie settings

Our websites distinguish between storage that is strictly necessary for a service you requested and storage for which we need your consent.

Without consent (§ 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG; Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR where personal data is involved) the websites only create these entries in your browser. They are not sent to us, except for the consent ID in the record described below:

The customer account cookies dwKonto and dwMailProof are set by app.getdogwalkers.com (section 22.8).

With consent we use the advertising and analytics services in section 5.9. For this we show a cookie banner on your first visit that we built ourselves (no external provider). “Reject all” and “Accept all” are designed with equal weight; under “Settings” you can choose each service individually. Nothing is preselected, and the websites work fully without consent. None of these services loads before you decide. The banner only appears if at least one such service is set up, and it only lists the services that are set up.

Changing and withdrawing: at any time via “Cookie settings” in the footer of every page, as easily as giving consent. When you withdraw, we delete the services' cookies on our domain as far as the browser allows and reload the page so that scripts already loaded stop running. Cookies a service has set on its own domain (such as linkedin.com) can only be deleted by you in your browser or with the provider. After 12 months, or when we change the texts or add a service, we ask again.

Record of your decision: so that we can prove consent was given (Art. 7(1) GDPR), the banner sends every decision to getdogwalkers.com/api/consent. We store the random consent ID (it is also shown in your cookie settings), your choice per service, the type of decision (accepted all, rejected all, custom selection, withdrawal), the text version, the time, the page (path only, without parameters), the website and a rough device class (e.g. “mobile/safari”). We do not store your IP address or the full browser identifier; to prevent abuse we count requests per hash of the IP address for one hour (at most 30 per hour). Storage is Cloudflare Workers KV (processor, section 5.1). The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR in conjunction with Art. 7(1) GDPR. The entries are deleted automatically after three years.

5.3 Fonts, images and videos

Fonts (Be Vietnam Pro, Old Standard TT), images and videos are served from our own web space. No connection is made to Google Fonts, video platforms or any other third party. The website only loads third-party scripts in these cases: the spam protection Cloudflare Turnstile once you use a form (section 5.6), the cookieless reach measurement if set up (section 5.7), and the advertising and analytics services only after your consent (section 5.9). If you open a business's Google reviews on the marketplace, your browser loads the reviewers' profile pictures directly from Google (googleusercontent.com); Google receives your IP address (section 26a.4).

5.4 Support form

When you submit the form on the support page, your browser sends your details to a function of this website at Cloudflare (/api/support). It forwards the message by email via Resend (section 23) to our internal support inbox, with your email address set as the reply-to address.

• Data: name, email address, topic, message, page language and, technically, your IP address. A hidden check field and Cloudflare Turnstile (section 5.6) help prevent spam.
• Purpose and legal basis: handling your request, Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (questions about a contract or subscription) or (f) (other requests; our interest in replying). To prevent abuse, at most three messages per hour and IP address are possible; for this we briefly store a non-reversible hash of the IP address with a counter that expires after one hour. We may block addresses that have demonstrably been misused.
• Required: name, a valid email address and a message are needed so we can reply.

5.5 Links

Links to the App Store lead to Apple, links to Google Play to Google, links to third-party privacy pages to the respective provider. Data is only transferred to such a provider once you click the link.

5.6 Spam protection with Cloudflare Turnstile

We protect our forms (pre-registration and support) with Cloudflare Turnstile by Cloudflare, Inc., 101 Townsend St, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. Turnstile only loads once you click or hover over a form; normal page views don't load it.

• Purpose: telling humans from automated programs so the forms can't be misused for spam or mass emails to other people's addresses.
• Data: Turnstile evaluates technical characteristics of your browser and connection; in particular your IP address and browser information are sent to Cloudflare. Our server then verifies the result with Cloudflare and also transmits your IP address. According to Cloudflare, Turnstile sets no advertising cookies and builds no usage profiles.
• Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR; our legitimate interest is protecting the forms and our users from abuse. Where information is stored in or read from your browser, this is strictly necessary under § 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG for the service you requested (submitting the form).
• Third country: USA; Cloudflare is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, and EU Standard Contractual Clauses apply in addition.
• Required: without the check the forms can't be submitted. You can then reach us by post at the address in section 1.

Cloudflare privacy notices: cloudflare.com/privacypolicy and cloudflare.com/turnstile-privacy-policy.

5.7 Reach measurement without cookies (Cloudflare Web Analytics)

Only active if set up. To see how many people visit our websites and which pages are popular, we use Cloudflare Web Analytics by Cloudflare, Inc. (address in section 5.1).

• How it works: a small script from static.cloudflareinsights.com reports the page address, referring page, load times, browser and device type to Cloudflare when a page is viewed. It sets no cookies, uses no local storage and builds no profiles across websites. We only see aggregated figures (page views, visits, origin, countries, device classes, load times).
• Data: Cloudflare technically processes your IP address and browser identifier to receive the report, derive the country and count visits; according to Cloudflare, IP addresses are not stored for this. We receive no IP addresses.
• Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR; our legitimate interest is improving our websites based on aggregated figures. We do not ask for consent under § 25 TDDDG because nothing is stored on your device and no information stored there is read.
• Objection: under “Cookie settings” in the footer you can switch the reach measurement off; we then store the cookie dw_noanalytics and do not include the script in this browser for 12 months. If your browser sends the “Global Privacy Control” signal, we do not include it either.
• Recipient and third country: Cloudflare as processor; USA, EU-US Data Privacy Framework, plus EU Standard Contractual Clauses.
• Retention: Cloudflare shows us the aggregated figures according to its own settings; we store no raw data.

Privacy information: cloudflare.com/web-analytics and cloudflare.com/privacypolicy.

5.8 Advertising and conversion measurement with consent

We advertise GetDogWalkers and the marketplace, among other places on Instagram, Facebook, Google, TikTok and LinkedIn. To know whether this advertising works, and to be able to reach people who visited our websites there again, we use the services in section 5.9, only if you have consented and we have set up the respective service.

• Events: besides the page view we report two events to the services you consented to: “pre-registration submitted” (after the form was submitted successfully, before confirmation by email) and “marketplace request or booking sent” (booking, request for a monthly service or meet-and-greet request). Only the type of event and the technical data in section 5.9 are transmitted, never your name, email address, phone number, the content of your request or amounts. We do not use matching of hashed contact details (such as “Enhanced Conversions” or “Advanced Matching”); the Meta Pixel's automatic event detection is switched off.
• Google Consent Mode: for Google we use the “Basic” mode: the Google script only loads after your consent, is first set to “denied” and immediately updated with your choice. Without consent Google does not send cookieless signals either.
• Legal basis: your consent, § 25(1) TDDDG (storing and reading on your device) and Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (further processing). It is voluntary; without it you can use everything on our websites.
• Withdrawal: at any time with future effect via “Cookie settings” in the footer (section 5.2).
• Third countries: the providers also process data in the USA and partly in other countries; we state the basis for each service.

5.9 The services in detail

Each service is only active if consented to and set up. All of them receive: IP address, device and browser details, pages of our websites visited with time, origin (e.g. a click on an ad with a campaign identifier), identifiers from cookies and the events in section 5.8. If you are logged in with the provider, it can link the visit to your account.

5.9.1 Meta Pixel (Instagram, Facebook)

• Provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd., Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland.
• Purpose: measuring whether visits from our ads on Instagram and Facebook lead to pre-registrations or marketplace requests; audiences for our advertising at Meta (visitors of our websites, also lookalike audiences).
• Role: we are joint controllers with Meta for collecting and transmitting the data (Art. 26 GDPR, controller addendum in Meta's Business Tools Terms); Meta alone is responsible for further processing. You can also exercise your rights directly with Meta.
• Cookies: _fbp, _fbc (up to 3 months).
• Third country: USA (Meta Platforms, Inc.), EU-US Data Privacy Framework, plus Standard Contractual Clauses.
• Privacy policy: facebook.com/privacy/policy

5.9.2 Google Analytics 4

• Provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.
• Purpose: statistics on how our websites are used (pages, origin, devices) and measuring which campaigns lead to pre-registrations and requests. Google Signals and ad personalisation via Analytics are switched off; according to Google, Google Analytics 4 does not store IP addresses.
• Role: Google as processor (Google Ads Data Processing Terms).
• Cookies: _ga, _ga_<ID> (13 months). We keep the data in Analytics for at most 14 months.
• Third country: USA (Google LLC), EU-US Data Privacy Framework, plus Standard Contractual Clauses.
• Privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy

5.9.3 Google Ads (conversion measurement and remarketing)

• Provider: Google Ireland Limited (as above).
• Purpose: measuring whether clicks on our Google ads lead to a pre-registration or marketplace request; showing our ads again in Google services to visitors of our websites.
• Role: for processing for its own purposes Google is an independent controller (Google Ads Controller-Controller Data Protection Terms).
• Cookies: _gcl_au, _gcl_aw (up to 3 months); Google also sets cookies on its own domains.
• Third country: USA (Google LLC), EU-US Data Privacy Framework, plus Standard Contractual Clauses.
• Privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy; ad settings: adssettings.google.com

5.9.4 TikTok Pixel

• Provider: TikTok Technology Limited, 10 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, D02 T380, Ireland.
• Purpose: measuring whether our ads on TikTok lead to pre-registrations or requests; audiences for our advertising on TikTok.
• Role: joint controller with us for collection and transmission (Art. 26 GDPR), afterwards TikTok alone.
• Cookies and storage: _ttp, _tt_enable_cookie, ttcsid (up to 13 months) and entries in local storage.
• Third country: according to TikTok, data is processed in the USA, Singapore and Malaysia, among others; remote access from further countries, including China, is possible. The basis is EU Standard Contractual Clauses (Art. 46(2)(c) GDPR); there is no adequacy decision for these countries.
• Privacy policy: tiktok.com/legal/page/eea/privacy-policy

5.9.5 LinkedIn Insight Tag

• Provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland.
• Purpose: measuring whether our ads on LinkedIn lead to pre-registrations; audiences for advertising on LinkedIn; aggregated information about visitors (e.g. industry, job title) from which we cannot identify anyone.
• Role: joint controller with us for collection and transmission (Art. 26 GDPR), afterwards LinkedIn alone.
• Cookies: on our domain li_fat_id, li_giant; on linkedin.com among others bcookie, lidc, UserMatchHistory, AnalyticsSyncHistory (up to 12 months).
• Third country: USA (LinkedIn Corporation), EU-US Data Privacy Framework, plus Standard Contractual Clauses.
• Privacy policy: linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy

6. Pre-registration for the launch

GetDogWalkers is expected to launch in January 2027. You can pre-register on this website. Anyone who signs up and confirms the sign-up is notified at launch and receives a personal 30 % discount for six months of a monthly subscription.

• Data: your email address (required), optionally your first name and your type of business (dog walker, boarding kennel, both, other), the language of the page, time of sign-up, the version of the consent text, the confirmation status with time of confirmation, a random code for your confirmation and unsubscribe link, and a hash of your IP address (SHA-256 with a secret salt). We never store the IP address itself; the hash is used only to prevent abuse and to limit repeated sign-ups (for this, a counter per hash is also kept for one hour).
• Purpose: to notify you when the app launches and to send you your personal discount (an offer code, valid for six months of a monthly subscription).
• Double opt-in: after you submit the form we send you an email with a confirmation link. Until you confirm, your entry is “pending”; unconfirmed entries are deleted automatically 30 days after the confirmation email was sent.
• Legal basis: your consent, Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR. You can withdraw it at any time with future effect via the unsubscribe link in every email, via our contact form or by post to the address above. Abuse prevention using the hash is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (our interest in an abuse-free sign-up).
• Recipients: the entry is stored with Cloudflare Pages Functions and Cloudflare Workers KV (Cloudflare, Inc., USA; EU-US Data Privacy Framework and EU Standard Contractual Clauses). The emails are sent by Resend (Resend, Inc., USA; EU Standard Contractual Clauses, see section 23); to send to all confirmed addresses, we mirror email address and first name into the contact list at Resend. Both act as our processors. We do not share the data with anyone else, including advertising services.
• No tracking: our emails contain no tracking pixels and no personalised tracking links; we do not measure whether or when you open them.
• Retention: until you withdraw consent, at the latest three months after the end of the launch campaign, i.e. once the discount codes have been sent and the redemption period has ended. All entries are then deleted.
• Required? Voluntary. Without an email address and confirmation we cannot notify you or send you the discount; you can still use the app once it launches.

7. App: local storage and encryption

7.1 What the app stores on your device

Depending on use and plan, the app stores the following categories locally:

• Business data: your business name, address, phone, email address, tax and bank details (e.g. IBAN) for invoices, prices, packages, templates and the coordinates for the weather display.
• Client data: name, address, phone, email, emergency contact, vet, insurance, intake form, care contract and its schedule, signatures, consents (e.g. off-leash, photos), key status, notes.
• Dog data: name, call name, breed, colour, sex, date of birth, weight, microchip number, health, allergies, medication, food, vaccinations with due dates, behaviour, group compatibility, photos.
• Appointments and walks: times, meeting points, dogs, notes, walk reports, recorded routes and markers (pee, poo, water), photos, your clients' ratings.
• Boarding: bookings, check-in and check-out, daily reports, incidents, waiting list.
• Invoices, reminders, subscription billing, e-invoice (XRechnung) files, mileage log, inquiries, staff and vehicle data.
• Settings (e.g. appearance, reminders, app lock) and, with a server account, the sign-in token.

7.2 Where and how it is protected

• The data is kept in a database file inside the app's protected container; photos as downscaled JPEG copies in a separate folder of the container. Other apps have no access.
• iOS encrypts these files with the data protection class iOS uses by default for app data: they are encrypted until the iPhone is unlocked for the first time after a restart. The app does not add its own encryption of the database. Please protect your iPhone with a passcode and optionally use the app lock (section 18).
• The sign-in token for the server account is stored in the iOS keychain and can only be used on this device (it is not transferred in backups). The app does not store your password.
• For widgets, the Live Activity and Siri, the app keeps a small overview (today's and tomorrow's appointments with dog and client names, times, number of boarding guests, total of open invoices) in a shared app group container on the device (section 10).

7.3 Device and iCloud backup

The app does not use its own iCloud or CloudKit account. If you have enabled device backup to iCloud or a computer, iOS backs up the app container including database and photos. Apple is responsible for iCloud backups; Apple's privacy policy applies. If you don't want this, you can exclude GetDogWalkers from iCloud backup in iOS Settings.

7.4 Deletion

You delete individual records directly in the app. “Settings → Delete all data” removes all business data on the device (your business settings are kept). Deleting the app makes iOS remove the entire app container. Data on our server is not affected; see section 21.6.

8. App permissions

The app only requests the following iOS permissions, each only when you use the feature. You can revoke any permission at any time in iOS Settings under “GetDogWalkers”; the rest of the app keeps working.

The app does not ask for “Always” location permission, contacts, calendars, microphone, Bluetooth, health data or permission to track you across apps. It uses push notifications only with a server account (section 17).

9. Live walk and live link

9.1 Without a server account

When you start a live walk, the app records your route with high accuracy while the app is open and the live walk is running. Route, duration, distance and markers are saved locally in the walk. Without a server account none of this leaves your device, and there is no live link.

9.2 With a server account

If you are signed in to a server account, the app creates a live walk on the server when you open the live walk screen and receives a live link (…/live.php?t=…) that you can send to dog owners via the share menu.

• Data: your current position (latitude and longitude at full precision) with a timestamp, at most every five seconds; markers (type, time, position); at the end, distance and duration. The app does not send dog or client names for the live walk; the live page shows your business name.
• Important: positions are transmitted for as long as the live walk with a server account is running, regardless of whether you actually share the link. Anyone who has the link can see the route.
• End: “Finish & save” or “Discard” tells the server the walk has ended; the live page then shows “Walk finished” and no new positions are added. The route recorded up to then (up to 600 points) and the markers remain viewable via the link for as long as the walk is stored on the server.
• Purpose and legal basis: providing the feature you chose, Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. If you are an employee of a business, the business processes your position as controller and we act as its processor.
• Recipients: our server and database (section 21.3); the people you give the link to. For the map display see section 22.7.
• Retention: with the walk record until your server account is deleted.
• Required? Voluntary. Without location permission there is no route recording; all other features remain available.

If you synchronise walks (section 21.2), the app also transmits the stored route (up to 200 points) for walks from the last 30 days and future walks.

9.3 Location only during a live walk

The app asks for “While Using the App” permission, not “Always”. You start a live walk yourself in the app; while it runs, the iPhone app keeps recording the route even with the screen locked, and iOS shows this with the blue location indicator. Ending the walk ends location access. Outside a live walk and the emergency display the app does not request your location.

10. Live Activity, widgets and Siri

• Live Activity: during a live walk the app shows dog names, start time, distance and the number of markers on the lock screen and in the Dynamic Island. After the end the display stays visible for up to 15 minutes. The Live Activity is updated locally only, not through push notifications.
• Widgets: the widgets read the local overview from section 7.2 and, depending on size, show dog and client names, times, boarding guests and open amounts. They make no network connections.
• Siri and Shortcuts: “Today overview” and “Next walk” read out dog names, time and client name from the same local overview; “Start live walk” and “New appointment” only open the app. When you use Siri, Apple processes your voice input under its own terms (Apple's privacy policy). If the app lock is active, shortcuts only open the app after it has been unlocked.

The lock screen, widgets and Siri may also show this information to anyone holding your iPhone, so check which widgets you place on the lock screen. No data is sent to us for these local displays.

11. AI walk report (Apple Intelligence)

The app can draft the text of walk reports with the Apple Intelligence language model directly on your iPhone (Apple Foundation Models). It uses dog names, date, duration, distance, markers, the day's weather and your keywords. This data does not leave your device for this purpose and is not sent to us or to any other AI provider. If Apple Intelligence is unavailable, the app builds the text from a fixed template. Whether and how Apple Intelligence is available on your device is governed by Apple; Apple's privacy policy applies. You review and send the report yourself; no automated decision about people is made.

12. Route planning and maps (Apple)

When you let the app optimise the order of a pick-up and drop-off tour, it uses Apple's map service (MapKit):

• Data sent to Apple: to convert them into coordinates, the addresses (street, city) of your business and of the selected clients; then, to calculate travel times and the route, only the coordinates of the stops. Names or other client data are not sent. Technically Apple also receives your IP address.
• Navigation: when you start navigation, the app passes the stops with coordinates and the client's name to Apple's Maps app. Tapping an address in the app opens Apple Maps with that address.
• Purpose and legal basis: efficient route planning, Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (a feature you chose) or, for client addresses, your business's legal basis.
• Recipient: Apple as an independent controller; Apple's privacy policy applies.
• Retention: the app only keeps the coordinates in memory until it is closed.
• Required? Voluntary; without route planning you set the order yourself.

13. Weather (Open-Meteo)

For the forecast on the “Today” tab and in the walk report, the app fetches forecast data from Open-Meteo (Open-Meteo GmbH, Switzerland, open-meteo.com).

• Data: the coordinates you enter in the business settings under “Weather: latitude/longitude” (a fixed default location if empty) and, technically, your IP address. The app does not use your iPhone's location for this. No accounts, names or identifiers are sent.
• Frequency: when the “Today” tab opens, when refreshing and in the walk report; results are cached for one hour.
• Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR; our legitimate interest is a useful weather display for planning walks.
• Recipient and third country: Open-Meteo as an independent provider in Switzerland; there is an EU Commission adequacy decision for Switzerland (Art. 45 GDPR). Provider information: open-meteo.com/en/terms.
• Required? The request is part of the start screen and currently cannot be turned off.

14. Photos, camera and QR codes

• Photos for dogs and walks are chosen with the iOS photo picker. The app stores a downscaled copy in its container. Photos are never transmitted to our server, not even with a server account. They only leave the device if you share them yourself or iOS includes them in the device backup.
• QR scanner: the scanner (VisionKit) analyses the camera image solely on the device and matches the recognised code to a dog profile. No images are stored or transmitted.
• QR code for dog profiles: if you create a QR code (e.g. for a collar tag), it contains in plain text the dog's name, breed, the owner's name and phone number and your business's name and phone number. Anyone who scans the code can read this. Agree on its use with your clients first.

15. Invoices, contracts, export and backup

• PDF, XRechnung, CSV: the app creates invoices (PDF, possibly with a payment link), care contracts (PDF), e-invoices in XRechnung format (XML) and invoice lists (CSV with number, date, client name, amount, status) locally. They are only transferred when you pass them via the share menu to an app or person of your choice.
• Backup export: under “Data & backup” you export all business data as a JSON file. It contains all client and dog data including health details, signatures, routes, invoices and your bank details, but no photos. The file is not encrypted. Where you store it (iCloud Drive, Files, email) is your decision and responsibility; keep it protected.
• Import: importing a backup file replaces all data on the device with the file's contents. Nothing is sent to us.

As a business you are responsible for retaining your invoices under commercial and tax law (e.g. § 147 AO, § 257 HGB in Germany).

16. Messages and sharing

• Without a server account the app does not send messages itself. You pass walk reports, reminders, dunning letters and other texts via the iOS share menu or a prepared mailto: link to the app of your choice (e.g. Mail, Messages, WhatsApp). From then on, that app's or provider's terms apply.
• With a server account you can send email through our server (section 23).
• Calls and maps: tapping a phone number or address opens the Phone or Maps app.
• Clipboard: the app only writes to the clipboard when you ask it to (e.g. payment link, message text, emergency position) and does not read it.
• Rating the app: “Rate GetDogWalkers” opens Apple's rating dialog; the rating goes to Apple, not to us.

17. Notifications and reminders

Reminders for walks (dog names, time, meeting point), boarding arrivals and departures (dog names) and monthly subscription billing are local notifications that the app schedules on your device. Due vaccinations are shown as a hint on the “Today” tab, not as notifications. Notifications may be visible on the lock screen; you choose which reminders you get in the app settings and how they are displayed in the iOS or Android settings.

Push notifications from the server exist only with a server account and only if you have allowed notifications on the device. Our server then notifies you, for example, about new marketplace requests and messages, events from the client portal and the daily overview, even when the app is closed.

• Data on our server: the device token that Apple or Google issues for the app on your device, the platform (iOS or Android), the app identifier, the language of the notifications and the time the device last registered, linked to your server account.
• Recipients: delivery runs through the Apple Push Notification service (Apple) on iPhone and iPad and through Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google) on Android. The respective service receives the device token and the title and short text of the notification; the text may contain names of clients or animals.
• Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (function of the server account).
• Switching off and retention: you choose which kinds of push notifications you get in the app; you can also switch them off entirely in the iOS or Android settings. When you sign out in the app, the device token is deleted from the server, and at the latest when the server account is deleted.

18. App lock with Face ID

The optional app lock uses iOS device authentication (LocalAuthentication): Face ID or Touch ID, or the device passcode as a fallback. The app locks as soon as it moves to the background. iOS performs the biometric check in the Secure Enclave; biometric data never leaves the device, and neither the app nor we have access to it.

19. App log and diagnostics

• App log: the app keeps a short technical log (e.g. sync results, error messages from the server, number of reconciled payments). It is held in memory only, contains at most 200 entries and is discarded when the app quits. The app does not write names or contact details into it; invoice numbers and server error texts may appear.
• Diagnostics report: under “Help” you can create a diagnostics report. It contains app version, iOS version, device type, your business name, whether a server account is connected, the time of the last sync and the number of your clients, walks, invoices and bookings, but no client data. It is only transmitted if you email it, share it or attach it to a support request yourself (section 26); you can optionally include the app log.
• Connection check: when you open Help, the app checks without credentials whether our server is reachable. This only produces technical connection data (section 21.4).
• No analytics or crash SDKs. We only receive crash reports if you have enabled sharing analytics with app developers in iOS Settings; Apple then provides them without names or contact details (section 25).

20. Admin demo and sample data

“Start admin demo” or “Load demo data” replaces the data on your device with made-up sample data and unlocks all features for trying them out. The sample data does not describe real people; its email addresses end in example.com or getdogwalkers.com. The demo runs entirely locally and sends nothing to us. Note: existing business data on the device is replaced; create a backup first.

20.1 Web dashboard demo with an invitation code

You open the web dashboard demo with an invitation code that we create for you. On our server we store only a non-reversible check value (HMAC) of the code, not the code itself, plus who or what occasion it was created for (for example your name or company), an optional internal note, the validity (at most 90 days), the permitted and actual number of redemptions, the time of the last redemption, any revocation and which of us created the code. When a code is redeemed, we count attempts per IP address for ten minutes to prevent abuse; for this the server creates a file named after a hash of the IP address that contains only the times of the attempts, not the IP address itself. The demo session is a signed token valid for at most 8 hours and never longer than the code; your browser keeps it only for the current session (session storage, gdw-dashboard-v2-demo). The demo only shows sample data. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (providing the demo at your request) and (f) (abuse prevention, traceability of invitations).

21. Optional server account

For synchronisation and restore, the client portal, the live link, email delivery and online payment, you can create an account at app.getdogwalkers.com in the app under “Server account”. This is voluntary; without an account all local features keep working.

21.1 Registration and sign-in

• Data: your business name, email address, password (at least eight characters), registration time, role in the account; for subscriptions, the subscription status (section 25).
• Protection: we only store the password as a bcrypt hash, never in plain text. After signing in the app receives a signed token valid for 30 days, stored in the iOS keychain. “Sign out” removes the token from the device.
• Two-step sign-in: If you set up a passkey or an authenticator app for your business account, we store the public key or an encrypted secret and recovery codes in non-reversible form until you remove the factor or delete the account. We store no IP addresses or location for this. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) and (f) GDPR (protecting the account).
• Purpose and legal basis: providing the server account under our terms, Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.
• Required? Business name, email address and password are needed for an account. We also use the email address as the reply-to address for emails you send through the server.

21.2 Synchronisation and restore

Sync only happens when you trigger it (sync button, pull to refresh, “Restore”). There is no automatic background sync.

• Clients: first and last name, email, phone, street, city, dogs (name, breed, date of birth), contract status, active/inactive, package name and booking details (days, time window, pick-up and drop-off).
• Walks from the last 30 days and future ones: dog names, assigned clients, status, duration, group walk, report text, distance, route (up to 200 points), rating, start time.
• Invoices: number, date, amount, status, assigned client.
• Not synchronised: photos, signatures captured in the app, keys, notes, vet and insurance details, health, allergy and vaccination details entered in the app, staff, vehicle and mileage data.
• Retrieved from the server as well: the details dog owners enter themselves in the client portal (section 22), including health details about the dog and signatures, and walk ratings.

For client data we act as processor (section 4.2); the legal basis is your business's. For providing the feature to you, Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR applies.

21.3 Hosting and database

The API server and the client portal at app.getdogwalkers.com run on a dedicated server operated by Hetzner Online GmbH, Industriestr. 25, 91710 Gunzenhausen, Germany, in its data centre in Nuremberg (Germany). We run the database ourselves on the same server, so server data does not leave Germany. A data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR is in place with Hetzner. Daily database backups are kept only on this server and deleted after 14 days. Data from users in the US and Canada is therefore stored and processed in the EU.

21.4 Technical logs and abuse prevention

• Connection data: on every request to the server (app, client portal, live link, support form) the web server logs the time, the requested page without parameters, status code, data volume, referring page and browser or app identifier, plus the IP address in shortened form (IPv4 without the last byte, IPv6 only the first 48 bits). The logs are deleted automatically after 7 days.
• Throttling: to prevent abuse and password guessing, the server limits requests (e.g. 5 registrations per hour, 10 sign-in attempts in 10 minutes, 5 support requests in 10 minutes per IP address; payment features per account). For this it stores a hash (MD5) of the IP address or the account identifier together with the request times in a temporary file; times outside the respective window (10 to 60 minutes) are discarded on the next request.
• Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR; our legitimate interest is secure, stable operation.

21.5 Activity log

For traceability and troubleshooting, the server logs important actions in your account with time and acting person or system: e.g. registration, creating and deleting records, emails sent (with recipient address and subject), invited clients (with email address), completed intake forms, signed contracts, package bookings and ratings (with the owner's email address), payment links (with invoice number) and subscription changes. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR or, for client data, your business's instructions. The log is deleted with your account.

21.6 Retention and deletion

Your server account data and the client data stored in it are kept as long as the account exists. Individual records can be deleted on the server; records you only delete in the app remain on the server until the account is deleted. You request deletion of your server account via our contact form, stating your registered email address, or by post to the address above. We then delete all of your business's server-side data (account, clients, dogs, walks, invoices, payment links, activity log) within 30 days unless statutory retention duties apply. “Sign out” and “Delete all data” in the app do not delete data on the server.

22. Client portal and links for dog owners

With a server account, your business can email token links to dog owners. We process the data as your business's processor; the controller towards dog owners is the business (section 31).

22.1 Token links

Each link contains a random string (160 bits) assigned to a client; client IDs never appear in the links. The links currently have no expiry date and remain valid as long as the client's record exists on the server. An intake form already filled in, a completed package booking or a signed contract cannot be submitted again via the link. Treat the links like a password.

22.2 Online intake form

Owners enter: first and last name, address, phone, email, emergency contact, vet, insurance, notes and wishes, consent to photos; for the dog, name, call name, breed, colour, date of birth, sex, neutering, weight, microchip number, allergies, medication, food, health status, vaccinations, behaviour towards dogs and people, leash manners, recall, off-leash, hunting behaviour, being left alone, past conflicts or bite incidents, group experience and equipment; plus a signature and confirmation of the details. On submission the server stores the time, name, signature and IP address as proof. The business is notified by email.

22.3 Contract signature

Via the contract link, owners see the care contract and sign it on screen. The signature is stored as an image together with the time.

22.4 Package booking

Owners choose a care package with days, time window, pick-up and drop-off, start date and notes and confirm it with their name. The server stores the selection, time, name and IP address as proof and emails a confirmation to the owner and the business.

In the portal you can withdraw from a package contract with “Withdraw from contract” and cancel it with “Cancel contracts here”. We store your declaration with name, email address, contract and, for a cancellation, type, reason and requested date, as well as the date and time of receipt, immediately send you a confirmation by email and inform the business, which is responsible for the package contract (section 4.2). Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR (§§ 312k, 356a BGB).

22.5 Portal and walk ratings

In the portal, owners see upcoming appointments, contracts and invoices. They can rate walks from the last 30 days with one to five stars and a comment (up to 500 characters); the rating appears in the business's app.

22.6 Sign-in by email link

Anyone who can no longer find their portal link enters the email address stored with the business on the sign-in page and receives the personal link by email. The page always shows the same response and does not reveal whether an address is on file. You need no password for a business's portal; a password only exists if you create a customer account for the marketplace (section 26a.2).

22.7 Live page and map

The live page asks the server for the current position every 15 seconds. To display the map, the viewer's browser loads the Leaflet map library from the content delivery network unpkg.com and map tiles from the OpenStreetMap Foundation (St John’s Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WS, United Kingdom). These providers technically receive the IP address, the browser identifier and, for map tiles, the map area shown. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (interest in a working map display). There is an EU Commission adequacy decision for the United Kingdom (Art. 45 GDPR). OpenStreetMap Foundation privacy policy: osmfoundation.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy.

22.8 Browser storage

When you open the customer account, app.getdogwalkers.com sets the strictly necessary cookie “dwKonto” (HttpOnly, 30 days). It remembers your account on this device so the marketplace website can show you an account icon. You delete it via “Sign out” on the account icon. Once you have proven your email address via a confirmation link or password, app.getdogwalkers.com also sets the strictly necessary cookie “dwMailProof” (HttpOnly, 180 days, renewed at most once a day). It contains only a check value, not the address itself, and saves you from confirming the address again on this device. The live page sets no cookies. The portal uses no local storage. The portal registers a service worker so it can be installed as an app on the home screen; it does not cache any content. Legal basis: § 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG.

22a. GetPetID: account and pet passport for owners

Your marketplace account is called GetPetID. In it you can create a pet passport for each animal, for example species, breed, date of birth, microchip and pet passport numbers, vaccinations, deworming, medication, allergies, feeding plan, behaviour, vet practice, emergency contacts, a vet authorisation with an amount limit and insurance details. All details are optional. If you add emergency contacts, you give us data about other people; please let them know.

Sharing with businesses. A business only sees your pet passport if you explicitly share it, when booking ("Share pet passport", not pre-ticked) or later via "Share". You can only share with businesses you have booked with or are a client of. You choose which animals and sections (for example health and emergency; insurance numbers only if you want) the business sees. A share from a booking ends 30 days after the booking; you can revoke any share at any time, and the business immediately loses access. The business processes the shared data under its own responsibility to care for your animal. Businesses can suggest changes; they only apply once you accept them.

Access log. We record which business opened a shared pet passport and when, and show this to you under "Who looked when".

Signing in on our other websites. You can use the same GetPetID to sign in on our brand websites. We only pass a one-time code, valid for 60 seconds, to that website, never passwords.

Sign-in and security. If you set up a passkey or an authenticator app, we store your passkey's public key or an encrypted secret for the app, and recovery codes in non-reversible form. For the list of your sessions (sign out individually or everywhere) we store when and how (password, link, passkey, code) you signed in and a rough device description (e.g. “Safari · iPhone”), but no IP address and no location. If you sign in from a new device, we email you the time, sign-in method and device description; for this we keep a random identifier of your browser (cookie dwDevice, 400 days) in non-reversible form for up to 13 months after your last sign-in. Other strictly necessary cookies: dwPetIdSession (session, 30 days), dwPetIdNext (return after sign-in, 10 minutes), and on brand websites __Host-petid (session, 30 days) and __Host-petid_flow (sign-in, 10 minutes). Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (contract) and (f) (protecting your account), for the cookies § 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG. We delete factors and codes when you remove them or delete your account, and sessions one day after they expire.

Vaccination reminders. If a vaccination or treatment recorded in the pet passport is about to expire, we remind you by email. You can switch the reminders off at any time in your account under Profile › Notifications. We store what we reminded you of so that no reminder is sent twice. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (pet passport feature).

Legal bases and retention. Account and pet passport: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (contract of use). Shares with businesses: your consent or instruction, Art. 6(1)(a) and (b) GDPR. Access log: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (transparency for you and abuse prevention). We keep pet passports, shares, suggestions and the log for as long as your account exists. The “Who looked when” log is kept for 24 months. You can delete a pet passport individually, download your data via "Export" (Art. 20 GDPR) and delete everything with "Delete account". Data a business has already stored is deleted by that business under its own rules.

23. Email delivery (Resend)

Emails sent via our server are delivered by Resend (Resend, Inc., 2261 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94114, USA). This covers:

• emails you send from the app with a server account (e.g. walk reports, invoices, dunning letters, messages to clients);
• invitations, intake form, contract, package and portal links, and confirmations and notifications from the client portal;
• support requests from the app (with a server account) and via the form on this website;
• confirmation, launch and discount emails for pre-registration (section 6);
• marketplace emails to dog owners and businesses (section 26a.10).

Recipient address, sender name (your business name or “GetDogWalkers”), reply-to address (your business's email address or that of the person making the request), subject and content are transmitted; Resend reports the delivery status to us. The sender address is [email protected]; replies go directly to the reply-to address. Resend acts as our processor; transfers to the USA are based on the EU Standard Contractual Clauses (Art. 46(2)(c) GDPR). The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR or, for client data, your business's instructions. Without a server account or pre-registration, no data is sent to Resend via the app or website.

24. Online invoice payment (Stripe)

You can optionally connect your own Stripe account to GetDogWalkers (Stripe Connect, standard account) and send your clients a payment link for an invoice. You are the merchant towards Stripe and your clients; the money goes straight to your Stripe account and we charge no platform fee.

• Connecting the account: our server creates an account for your business at Stripe with business name and email address; you complete setup (identity verification, bank details) directly with Stripe. We only store the Stripe account ID and whether the account can accept payments.
• Payment link: the app sends our server the invoice ID, invoice number, amount, currency and the client's name and email address. The server stores these with a token link (…/pay.php?t=…) and the payment status. Stripe receives the invoice number, amount, currency, your business name, internal identifiers and, if available, the client's email address.
• Paying: payment takes place on Stripe's checkout page (Stripe Payments Europe, Ltd., 1 Grand Canal Street Lower, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin, Ireland). Your clients enter payment details such as card number or IBAN directly with Stripe; we never receive them. Stripe reports payment status, amount and currency to our server via a signed webhook; the app retrieves this status.
• Cancelling: if you cancel or delete an invoice or manually mark it as paid, the app disables the associated payment link.
• Legal bases: for us Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (providing the feature) or, for client data, your business's instructions; for Stripe Art. 6(1)(b) (payment processing), (c) (legal obligations such as anti-money-laundering) and (f) GDPR (fraud prevention).
• Stripe's role: Stripe processes payment and account data as an independent controller. Data may be transferred to Stripe, Inc. in the USA; Stripe, Inc. is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, and EU Standard Contractual Clauses apply in addition. Stripe's privacy policy: stripe.com/privacy.
• Retention: payment links and payment status are kept until your server account is deleted; Stripe keeps data according to its own, including statutory, periods.
• Required? Voluntary; your clients can still pay by bank transfer.

25. App Store and in-app purchases (Apple)

• Download and subscriptions: you get the app and its subscriptions through the App Store. Apple handles purchase, billing, free trial, renewal and cancellation as an independent controller; we receive no payment details, no name and no Apple ID.
• Without a server account the app checks the subscription status only on the device via StoreKit.
• With a server account the app reports product, trial, expiry date and Apple's original transaction ID to our server after a purchase. In addition, Apple sends us App Store server notifications about renewal, cancellation or refund. We link this to your server account to enforce plan limits. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. Retention: until the account is deleted.
• Beta test via TestFlight: if you take part in the beta, you install the app through Apple's TestFlight. Apple then provides us with your name and email address (if we invited you by email), device model, iOS version, crash reports and any feedback and screenshots you send in TestFlight yourself. With a server account the beta version also sends the Apple-signed app receipt (app ID, version, environment “Sandbox”) to our server, which then unlocks all features for your account until the beta ends on 31 January 2027. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. We keep the unlock until the account is deleted or a purchase replaces it.
• Statistics and crash reports: Apple provides aggregated download and sales figures in App Store Connect. We only receive usage statistics and crash reports if you have enabled “Share with App Developers” in iOS Settings; they contain no names or contact details.

Apple's privacy policy applies. Apple also processes data in the USA.

25a. Android app and Google Play

The Android app “GetDogWalkers” offers the same core features as the iOS app. This policy applies to it accordingly; differences are listed here.

• Permissions: internet (server account, weather), precise location (only during a live walk, requested when you start it), Google Play billing, camera (only for scanning QR codes, requested when you scan), NFC (tags for clients and keys) and notifications. The Android app does not ask for contacts, microphone or background location.
• Push notifications: with a server account the Android app receives push notifications through Google's Firebase Cloud Messaging (section 17). For this it includes the Firebase messaging library; it contains no analytics or advertising libraries.
• Storage: business data is kept in a file in the app's private storage, readable only by the app. The server account's login token is kept in the app settings and excluded from Google backups and device transfers.
• Google backup: if you have enabled Android backup, Android backs up the remaining app data encrypted to your Google account. You control this in the Android settings.
• Download and subscriptions: you get the app and its subscriptions via Google Play. Google handles purchase, billing, trial, renewal and cancellation as an independent controller; we receive no payment data.
• With a server account the app reports Google's purchase token to our server after a purchase. The server checks the subscription status (plan, term, state) directly with Google and receives notifications about renewal or cancellation. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.
• Deleting your account: in the app under More → Server account → “Delete account”, or via our page Delete account.

Google's privacy policy applies. Google also processes data in the USA.

26. Support

• Channels: the form on this website (section 5.4) or the support form in the app. The app sends the request with the reply address you enter via our server and Resend, also without a server account.
• Data: your contact details, topic and message; from the app, optionally the diagnostics report and app log (section 19). Please don't send us client data unless the request needs it.
• Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR or (f) (interest in answering).
• Retention: we delete support requests once resolved, at the latest after 12 months, unless statutory retention duties apply (e.g. tax-relevant correspondence).

26a. Marketplace on marketplace.getdogwalkers.com

On marketplace.getdogwalkers.com you can search for dog care businesses, book or request appointments, arrange a meet and greet, write messages and leave reviews. We are the controller for processing in the marketplace. As soon as you book with or send a request to a business, that business is itself the controller for the data it receives from you; it informs you about its own processing.

26a.1 Search and location

To search, you enter a postcode or, at the press of a button, use your browser’s location. The browser only asks for your location after you agree; we round it to about one kilometre, transmit it only to search for businesses near you and do not store it in your account. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

If you search without a postcode, our hosting provider Cloudflare derives an approximate place from your IP address so that we can show you businesses near you. The page only receives a point rounded to about one kilometre and the place name, and only for places in Germany. We do not store your IP address for this. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (relevant results without typing); you can enter a postcode instead at any time.

26a.2 Client account, bookings, requests and meet and greet

For bookings, requests and a meet and greet we process your name, email address, mobile number and postcode, details of your dogs (name, size and, if given, breed, age, sex, neutering and vaccination status), your notes for the business, the period you want, the chosen service, price, service fee, cancellation policy, the status of the booking and your confirmations in the booking form with time and version. The business you book with or send a request to receives this information so that it can provide the service. Until the business has confirmed your booking, it only sees your first name, not your email address or phone number. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR; we keep the confirmations as evidence (Art. 6(1)(c) and (f) GDPR).

In detail: for requests for monthly services, the business receives your contact details straight away. For meet-and-greet requests it sees your first name and postcode area until a confirmed booking exists. The business takes confirmed bookings with name, contact details, postcode, animals and notes into its own client records in the app. Each booking and each meet-and-greet gets a random link (/en/booking/?t=…, /en/meet/?t=…) where you can see the status; treat it like a password.

We send you confirmations, reminders, payment notices and invitations to leave a review by email through Resend (section 23). With a client account you see your bookings with all businesses in one place; you sign in through a link sent by email (section 22.6) or with your password. If you wish, we store your phone number, postcode and dogs in your account for the next booking. app.getdogwalkers.com sets two technically necessary cookies for this: “dwKonto” remembers your account on this device (section 22.8), and “dwMailProof” records that you have confirmed your email address in this browser (HttpOnly, 180 days, extended when used). The legal basis is § 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG.

If a business cancels a confirmed booking at short notice, we suggest other businesses as a replacement. Only when you choose one does that business receive your booking details. You choose within 24 hours between a refund and a replacement booking; if you don't choose, we refund automatically. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

The client account is optional and works across businesses for all your bookings; it is called GetPetID and can hold pet passports if you wish (section 22a). We store email address, name, phone, address, animals, language, settings, your confirmations and a password hash with a counter for failed attempts. You confirm sign-up via an email link (valid for 24 hours; we only store a hash of the link). When an account is signed in, the marketplace pre-fills forms with it. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

26a.3 Messages

We store messages between you and a business on our server and notify the other side by email. Until the first confirmed booking, the server automatically replaces phone numbers, email addresses and web addresses in messages with a placeholder to prevent fraud outside the platform. We only read messages if one side reports them, if we are investigating suspected abuse or if the law requires it. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) and (f) GDPR.

26a.4 Reviews

After a booking, you and the business can review each other. Your review of the business is shown publicly with your first name and the initial of your last name, the stars, the text, the service and the date; the business can reply publicly. Reviews are published after 14 days or once both sides have reviewed. We store reports about reviews with the reason given and check them. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) and (f) GDPR (transparency for other users).

The review a business writes about you is not public. Businesses you later send a request to or book with see the average and up to five of the most recent reviews with text, so that they can judge whether the care is a good fit. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (trust and safety between businesses and clients). You can object to this processing under section 30.

If a business links its profile to its Google Business Profile, we show a link to Google. Only when you click “Show Google reviews here” does our server retrieve the public Google reviews through the Places API of Google Ireland Limited, and your browser loads the reviewers’ profile pictures from Google servers (googleusercontent.com); Google receives your IP address. From the link we only store the Google profile's link and identifier, not the reviews fetched. Google reviews do not count towards ratings or ranking. Google Ireland Limited is an independent controller for this; third country USA, EU-US Data Privacy Framework. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (a complete picture of the business, at your click).

26a.5 Payment through Stripe

Payments in the marketplace are processed by Stripe through the business’s Stripe account; we receive the service fee and commission from Stripe as a platform fee. You enter your payment details directly with Stripe; we do not receive full card or account details. For requests, Stripe reserves the amount and only charges it when the business accepts. For overnight stays starting more than 48 hours later, you pay a deposit of 30% plus the service fee when booking; Stripe charges the rest to your saved payment method 48 hours before the start. For other appointments more than six days ahead, Stripe saves your payment method and charges it 48 hours before the start. Stripe is an independent controller for payment processing (section 24). Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) and (c) GDPR.

26a.6 Checks on businesses

Businesses that accept bookings prove their identity through Stripe Identity; Stripe processes an identity document and a selfie taken live for this. We only store the result, the ID of the check and the time, no identity document data. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) and (f) GDPR (protecting clients from fraud).

26a.7 Reports to the tax office

Under the German Platform Tax Transparency Act (DAC7), we report the name, address, tax identification number, date of birth for natural persons, bank details, income and number of bookings of businesses that earn income through the marketplace to the Federal Central Tax Office. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR. Retention: ten years.

26a.8 Browser storage

The marketplace only creates entries in your browser’s storage that you trigger yourself and that are not sent to us. In local storage (kept until you delete it): your saved list (dw-merkliste), your contact details and dogs if you choose “Remember my details in this browser” (dw-co-merken) and, after a paid booking, a marker per business so that follow-up bookings are priced as a returning client (dw-stammkunde). In session storage (deleted when you close the tab): your last search with service, place, date and animals (dw-suche), your comparison (dw-vergleich), the approximate place from section 26a.1 (dw-standort), the draft of your booking details (dw-co-draft), the dogs chosen on the profile (dw-dogs:…) and, only for tests with a parameter in the address, the server address (dw-api). Whether you came through an ad is only passed on in the link to the profile and the booking form and sent with the booking to our server so that we can bill the ad; we do not store it in your browser. The legal basis is § 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG. You can delete these entries in your browser at any time. The list of all entries with retention periods is in section 5.2.

26a.9 Retention

We keep bookings, payments and invoice data for as long as commercial and tax law require (up to eight or ten years). We store messages and reviews for as long as the account or the business’s profile exists; at your request we delete them earlier unless a retention obligation applies. You can delete your client account at any time under Delete account; your bookings are kept as the businesses' records. You delete data in your browser yourself (section 5.2).

26a.10 Emails and notifications

You receive emails via Resend (section 23) about requests, confirmations, cancellations, reminders, messages, review invitations, replacement bookings and payment problems, and meet-and-greet appointments with a calendar file. You also receive push notifications only if you have allowed them in a GetDogWalkers app and verified your address for the marketplace. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

26a.11 Withdrawal through the withdrawal function

If you withdraw from a contract using the “Withdraw from contract” button (marketplace.getdogwalkers.com/en/withdraw), we store your name, email address, the contract details (such as the booking number), what you withdraw from, your message, the language and the date and time of receipt, and link the withdrawal to your booking where possible. You immediately receive a confirmation of receipt by email; a copy goes to our support and, if you withdraw from the care contract, to the business. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR (§ 356a BGB) and (b) (handling the withdrawal). We keep the withdrawal as evidence for as long as the related booking records.

26a.12 For businesses: your marketplace profile

If your business is listed on the marketplace, we publish your profile: display name, description, photos, services and prices, postcode and service radius, a location rounded to about one kilometre, rules, hours, cancellation terms, reviews, response time, number of bookings via the marketplace, badges (identity verified, liability insurance shown, licence under § 11 of the German Animal Welfare Act) and your statement whether you offer your services as a trader, with name and address. Paid placements are labelled “Sponsored” with your name as the advertiser. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (listing contract), for the trader details Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR (§ 312l BGB, Art. 246d EGBGB).

26b. Our Instagram and Facebook pages

We run pages on Instagram and Facebook (Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd., Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland). Our websites do not link to them through embedded plugins; only when you open Instagram or Facebook yourself does Meta process your data under its own terms.

• Statistics (Insights): Meta creates aggregated statistics for us about visits and interactions on our pages. We are joint controllers with Meta for this (Art. 26 GDPR; Meta's Page Insights addendum); Meta takes primary responsibility and fulfils the information duties and data subject rights. We receive no data about individual people.
• Posts and comments: we publish posts through Meta's interfaces. If you comment on a post or message us, we see your name or username and the content. If the comment assistant is switched on, our server stores comments from the last 30 days (identifier, username, text), sorts them by fixed rules, replies to or hides them (e.g. spam) and deletes handled comments after 90 days.
• Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR; our legitimate interest is communicating with interested people and presenting ourselves.
• Third country: USA (Meta Platforms, Inc.), EU-US Data Privacy Framework.
• Your rights are best exercised directly with Meta; we forward requests. Privacy: facebook.com/privacy/policy, privacycenter.instagram.com/policy.

27. Recipients at a glance

We only pass personal data to the following parties and do not sell data. Data only goes to advertising services with your consent (section 5.9), and never your name, email address or phone number. Authorities only receive data where we are legally obliged to provide it.

28. International transfers

Transfers to third countries only take place to the providers listed in section 27. We base them on an EU Commission adequacy decision under Art. 45 GDPR (EU-US Data Privacy Framework for certified US companies, Switzerland, United Kingdom) or on appropriate safeguards under Art. 46(2)(c) GDPR (EU Standard Contractual Clauses) with supplementary measures such as encryption in transit. For TikTok only Standard Contractual Clauses apply; access from countries without an adequate level of data protection is possible there (section 5.9.4). You can request a copy of the safeguards via our contact form or by post to the address above. US authorities may in some circumstances access data held by US providers; the Data Privacy Framework provides limits and redress for this. If you are in the US or Canada, your server data is transferred to and processed in the EU, where it is protected by the GDPR.

29. Retention at a glance

We keep personal data only as long as necessary for the respective purpose or required by statutory retention duties (e.g. up to eight years for accounting records and up to six years for business letters under § 147 AO and § 257 HGB in Germany).

30. Your rights (EU, US, Canada)

30.1 European Union / EEA (GDPR)

Where the legal requirements are met, you have the following rights against us:

• Access (Art. 15 GDPR): whether and which data we process about you, for what purposes, who receives it, how long it is kept and where it comes from, plus a copy of the data.
• Rectification (Art. 16 GDPR): correction of inaccurate and completion of incomplete data.
• Erasure (Art. 17 GDPR): deletion of your data, e.g. when it is no longer needed or you withdraw consent, unless a retention duty applies.
• Restriction (Art. 18 GDPR): blocking instead of deletion, e.g. while accuracy is disputed.
• Notification (Art. 19 GDPR): we inform recipients of rectification, erasure or restriction where possible.
• Data portability (Art. 20 GDPR): receiving the data you provided in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format. In the app you can get your data yourself at any time as a JSON backup.
• Withdrawal of consent (Art. 7(3) GDPR): at any time with future effect, e.g. by revoking an iOS or Android permission, for cookies and advertising services via “Cookie settings” in the footer of every page, for pre-registration via the unsubscribe link. The lawfulness of processing before withdrawal is not affected.
• No solely automated decisions (Art. 22 GDPR): see section 35.
• Complaint to a supervisory authority (Art. 77 GDPR): in particular in the member state of your residence, your place of work or the controller's seat.

How to exercise your rights: an informal message via our contact form or by post to the address above is enough. We respond without undue delay and at the latest within one month (Art. 12(3) GDPR; extendable by two further months for complex requests, in which case we let you know). Access is free of charge. We may ask for suitable proof of identity, e.g. a reply from the email address registered for the server account. We do not know data that only exists on your device; you view, export and delete it yourself in the app.

Supervisory authority responsible for us: the Hessian Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (Der Hessische Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit), Wilhelmstraße 7, 65185 Wiesbaden, Germany, phone +49 611 1408-0, [email protected], datenschutz.hessen.de.

30.2 California (CCPA/CPRA)

California residents have the right to know what personal information we collect, use and disclose (the categories and sources are described in sections 5 to 26), to request deletion and correction, to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information, to limit the use of sensitive personal information, and not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights. We do not sell personal information. If you consent to the advertising services in section 5.9, data about your visit is shared with Meta, Google, TikTok and LinkedIn for advertising (“sharing” for cross-context behavioural advertising under the CCPA); without consent this does not happen, and rejecting or withdrawing in the cookie settings works as an opt-out. We do not use sensitive personal information, such as precise geolocation from live walks or account credentials, for purposes other than providing the service. We disclose personal information only to the service providers and independent parties listed in section 27, for the business purposes stated there. Retention periods are listed in section 29. You can exercise your rights via the contact above; you may authorise an agent to act for you, and we will verify your request as described in section 30.1. For client data stored by a dog-walking business, we act as its service provider and forward requests to that business.

30.3 Canada (PIPEDA and provincial laws)

Canadian residents may request access to and correction of the personal information we hold about them, withdraw consent subject to legal or contractual restrictions, and file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (priv.gc.ca) or the competent provincial commissioner. Our privacy contact is Joshua Cogswell at the address in section 1. Your server data is stored and processed in the EU, and service providers in the USA, the United Kingdom and Switzerland may process data as described in sections 27 and 28; it may then be accessible to authorities in those jurisdictions under their laws.

31. Information for dog owners

If you are a client of a business that uses GetDogWalkers, the following applies. If you book or send a request through the marketplace, we are responsible for the marketplace itself (section 26a).

• The controller for your data and your dog's data is your dog walker or boarding kennel. It decides what data it records and informs you under its own responsibility, usually in the care contract. Cogswell IT only provides the software and, where your data is stored on our server, processes it on the business's behalf.
• Where your data is stored: first on the business's iPhone. If the business uses a server account, the data listed in section 21.2 and section 22 is also stored on our server in the EU.
• What you enter yourself: intake form details, your signature, package bookings and ratings. For the intake form and package booking, your IP address is stored as proof.
• Emails from your business come from [email protected] with the business's name; your replies go directly to the business.
• Live link: the live page shows the dog walker's position during the walk. When you open it, your browser loads the map from OpenStreetMap and unpkg.com (section 22.7).
• Paying: if you pay online, you enter your payment details directly with Stripe (section 24); the payee is your business.
• Your rights under section 30 are best exercised directly with the business. If you contact us, we forward your request to the business and help it respond.

32. App Store privacy details

For the privacy details shown in the App Store, our review of the code finds:

• Data used to track you: none. The app does not use the advertising identifier and does not pass data to data brokers or ad networks.
• Data linked to you (only with a server account, online payment or a support request from the app, in each case for app functionality): contact info (name, email address, phone number, physical address, mainly of your clients), precise location (live walk), purchases (subscription history), other financial info (invoice amounts and status), user content (walk reports, ratings, customer support), identifiers (account ID) and diagnostics (only in the support report).
• Data not linked to you: Open-Meteo receives the weather coordinates you entered without any identifier; Apple processes addresses and coordinates for route planning.
• Without a server account we collect no data through the app within the meaning of the App Store privacy details.

The privacy details in the app itself (privacy manifest) match this review.

33. Children

GetDogWalkers is a tool for businesses, and the marketplace is aimed at dog owners booking care; neither is directed at children and teenagers under 16, and we do not target advertising at children. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you learn that a child has sent us data, please let us know so we can delete it.

34. Security

We take technical and organisational measures appropriate to the risk under Art. 32 GDPR, including:

• TLS encryption of all connections between app, website, client portal, server and service providers;
• passwords only as bcrypt hashes; signed, time-limited sign-in tokens (30 days), stored in the iPhone keychain;
• strict separation of businesses on the server (every query is bound to the own account), database access only via the server;
• random, unguessable token links (160 bits) for the client portal and payment links without client IDs;
• throttling of sign-in, registration, support and payment requests; signed Stripe webhooks and secret webhook URLs for Apple;
• on iPhone and iPad: iOS data encryption, optional app lock, no third-party SDKs;
• on Android: private app storage; the only third-party libraries are Google Play billing, Firebase Cloud Messaging for push notifications and a QR code scanner.

No system is completely secure. Please protect your device with a passcode, keep its operating system up to date and do not pass on token links. Please report security vulnerabilities via our contact form.

35. Automated decisions and ranking

We do not make decisions that have legal effects on you or similarly significantly affect you and are based solely on automated processing, including profiling (Art. 22 GDPR). Route planning, the AI walk report and group compatibility in the app are suggestions that you decide on yourself.

• Order on the marketplace: we sort search results automatically by distance, quality (reviews), reliability, fit with your search, popularity, profile completeness and a bonus for new businesses; paid placements are labelled. Data about you as a searcher only enters via your search; we build no profile about you for this. Details: How we rank.
• Automatic steps under the booking terms: unanswered requests expire after the deadline, failed charges lead to cancellation after a grace period, if you don't choose after a cancellation by the business we refund automatically, and whether the service fee applies depends on whether you are new or already a client of the business. These steps follow fixed rules stated in advance; if you have questions or objections, we review each case personally (contact via Support).

36. Changes to this policy

We update this privacy policy when the app, the server, the website or the law changes. The current version is always available at this address and in the app under “Settings → Privacy” and on the subscription screen.

Last updated: 10 November 2026