Privacy Policy

Poochopolis (“Poochopolis,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a U.S. website for dog owners. We publish guides, breed profiles, a shop of curated product pages, a blog, and a local directory for finding veterinarians, groomers, dog parks, and pet stores. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect on poochopolis.com, why we collect it, how we use it, and the choices you have.

We wrote this policy to match how the site actually works today — not a generic template. If we add features that change what we collect (for example, display ads or paid business listings), we will update this page.

Who we are

Poochopolis is operated from the United States. The site is powered by Stackifide. For privacy questions, treat hello@poochopolis.com as the contact for this website.

This policy covers poochopolis.com, including public pages, member accounts, the contact form, business listing submissions, site search, and the Near me map. It does not cover third-party websites we link to — including Amazon product pages, listed businesses’ own sites, or map tile providers — which have their own policies.

Information we collect

We collect only what we need to run the site. We do not currently collect payment card numbers, Social Security numbers, precise ongoing GPS tracking, or veterinary records from visitors.

Information you give us

Accounts. If you create an account, we store your first name, last name, email address, and a hashed password. You may also use “remember me” on login. You can update your name and email, or delete your account, from your profile.
Contact form and email. If you write to us through the contact page or hello@poochopolis.com, we receive your name, email address, and message so we can reply. Contact messages are delivered by email. We do not currently keep a separate public database of contact-form submissions.
Business listing submissions. If you submit a business to the directory, we collect the listing details you enter: business name, type (veterinarian, groomer, dog park, or pet store), address, city, state, postal code, phone, optional website, and optional description. Submissions are stored as a pending listing for review and emailed to our listings inbox. Published listings appear on public map pages.
Near me search. If you enter a U.S. ZIP code (or allow the browser to share your location so we can look up a ZIP), we use that ZIP and a search radius to show nearby places. See Maps, ZIP codes, and location.
Site search. If you use search, we process the terms you type in order to return matching guides, breeds, blog posts, and product pages. We do not currently save a personal search-history profile. Search URLs may still appear in server logs and analytics.

Information collected automatically

Technical and log data. Our servers and security tools may record IP address, browser and device type, date and time, pages requested, referring URL, and approximate general location derived from IP. We use this to operate, debug, and protect the site.
Cookies and session data. We use cookies to keep you logged in, prevent cross-site request forgery, remember Near me ZIP/radius preferences, and measure traffic with Google Analytics. Details are in Cookies and similar technologies.
Analytics. Google Analytics 4 records how pages are used (for example, which guides are read). See Analytics.

Information we do not collect from you today

Poochopolis does not currently process payments on this website, run a display-ad network, host visitor photo uploads, or offer community comments or reviews. Directory listings come from our editorial/import process and from businesses that submit themselves — not from scraping your personal address book.

How we use information

Operate, maintain, and improve Poochopolis (guides, breeds, shop, blog, search, and Find)
Create and secure member accounts, including password reset
Respond to contact messages, listing questions, and privacy requests
Review and, if appropriate, publish business submissions on the map
Remember your Near me ZIP and radius so you do not have to re-enter them every visit
Show relevant local listings around a ZIP you choose
Understand which content is useful so we can improve it
Prevent spam, abuse, and security incidents
Comply with law and enforce our Terms of Service

We do not use your information to build a health profile of your dog, and we do not sell personal information.

Cookies and similar technologies

Cookies are small files stored on your device. You can block or delete cookies in your browser. Essential cookies are needed for login and security; blocking them may break those features. Preference cookies (Near me) and analytics cookies are optional in the sense that the rest of the site still works without them.

Cookie / storage	Purpose	Duration
`poochopolis-session`	Keeps you logged in during a visit and stores flash messages (for example, “message sent”).	Session (about 2 hours of inactivity)
`XSRF-TOKEN`	Helps prevent cross-site request forgery on forms.	Session
Remember-me cookie	Set only if you check “remember me” at login, so you stay signed in across visits.	Until you log out or the cookie expires
`poochopolis_near_me_zip`	Remembers the ZIP code you last used on Near me and the homepage finder.	1 year
`poochopolis_near_me_radius`	Remembers the map search radius you chose.	1 year
Google Analytics (`_ga`, `_ga_*`)	Helps us understand aggregate traffic and which pages are used. Set by Google on our domain.	Up to 2 years (Google default)

We do not currently use advertising cookies, Facebook Pixel, TikTok Pixel, or similar marketing pixels. If we introduce display advertising later, we will update this policy and our Advertising Disclosure.

Maps, ZIP codes, and location

Near me and state map pages use LocationIQ to geocode U.S. ZIP codes, reverse-geocode coordinates into a ZIP when you ask us to, and load map tiles in your browser.

ZIP you type. We send the ZIP to LocationIQ to get a map center, then search our own directory for published places within the radius you choose. Successful ZIP and radius values are stored in first-party cookies as described above.
Browser location (optional). The “use my location” control works only if you allow it in your browser. We then send approximate latitude and longitude to our server so we can ask LocationIQ for a ZIP. We store the resulting ZIP — not a live GPS trail, and not continuous tracking.
Map tiles. When a map is shown, your browser requests map imagery from LocationIQ. That request is a normal web request and may include technical data such as IP address, as with any embedded map.

We cache ZIP-to-coordinate lookups so the same ZIP is not geocoded on every page load. Directory pins (business names, addresses, and coordinates we already store) are our data, not a live feed of your home address.

LocationIQ’s own practices are described in LocationIQ’s privacy policy.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how the site is used: which pages are viewed, general device and browser type, and similar aggregate traffic. Google may process this data on servers outside the United States. We use Analytics for measurement and improvement, not to sell a list of visitors.

Google’s policies: Google Privacy Policy and how Google uses data from sites that use its services. You can limit Analytics via Google’s opt-out browser add-on and by blocking analytics cookies in your browser.

Affiliate shopping

Shop pages and some guides include Amazon Associates links (our tag is used so Amazon can credit a referral). If you click through and buy on Amazon, Amazon — not Poochopolis — handles checkout and payment under Amazon’s privacy notice. We may receive aggregated reports (for example, that a product link led to a purchase) without receiving your Amazon account name or card number.

See our Advertising Disclosure for how affiliate relationships work.

We do not sell personal information and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising as those terms are used under California law. We also do not rent email lists.

We share information only in these situations:

Service providers that process data for us, such as web hosting, email delivery, Google Analytics, and LocationIQ (maps and geocoding). They are not permitted to use this data for their own marketing of Poochopolis visitors.
Public directory pages. If we publish a business you submitted, the listing details you provided (name, address, phone, website, description) are shown on Poochopolis like any other public listing.
Legal and safety. We may disclose information if required by law, to protect the site or other people, or in connection with a merger, sale, or transfer of the website, in which case this policy (or a successor notice) would still apply to the information as it relates to Poochopolis users.
With your direction — for example, if you ask us to email you about a specific listing or partnership.

Fonts on the site are loaded from fonts.bunny.net, a font content delivery network. Your browser may request font files from that domain when you load a page.

How long we keep information

Accounts — until you delete the account, or we close it for abuse or inactivity.
Contact emails — as long as needed to reply and keep a normal business email record.
Business submissions — for as long as the listing is pending, published, or needed for review history. You can ask us to remove a listing you submitted.
Near me cookies — up to one year, or until you clear cookies.
Sessions — until they expire (about two hours of inactivity) or you log out.
Server logs — for a limited operational period for security and debugging.
Analytics — according to our Google Analytics retention settings and Google’s defaults.

Security

We use HTTPS, hashed passwords, CSRF protection on forms, and role-based access so only administrators can manage the CMS, listings queue, and other private tools. No website can guarantee perfect security. If you believe your account has been misused, contact us promptly and change your password.

Children’s privacy

Poochopolis is for a general audience of dog owners and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has created an account or sent us personal information, email hello@poochopolis.com and we will delete it.

Your choices and rights

Everyone

Browse most of the site without creating an account.
Decline optional browser geolocation. Near me still works if you type a ZIP.
Clear or block cookies in your browser (this will sign you out and forget saved ZIP/radius).
Use Google’s Analytics opt-out tools described above.
If you have an account, update your name and email or delete the account from your profile.
Email hello@poochopolis.com to request access, correction, or deletion of personal information we hold, or to ask us to remove a business listing you submitted.

U.S. state privacy rights

Depending on where you live (for example, California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and other states with consumer privacy laws), you may have the right to:

Know what personal information we collect and how we use it (this policy is that notice)
Access a copy of personal information we hold about you
Correct inaccurate personal information
Delete personal information, subject to limited exceptions (such as a published listing we must keep for a legitimate operational reason, or records we are required to retain)
Opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information — we do not sell or share in that sense today
Not be discriminated against for exercising these rights

To make a request, email hello@poochopolis.com with “Privacy request” in the subject and enough detail for us to find your information (for example, the email on your account or the business you submitted). We will verify your request before fulfilling it. You may use an authorized agent where the law allows; we will still need to verify the request.

We do not currently respond to “Do Not Track” browser signals, because there is no consistent industry standard for how DNT should work alongside the cookies we use. We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

International visitors

Poochopolis is intended primarily for people in the United States (our directory and ZIP search are U.S.-centric). If you visit from another country, your information may be processed in the United States and in other countries where our providers (such as Google and LocationIQ) operate. Those countries may have different data-protection rules than your own.

If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we process personal information as needed to provide the site you request (accounts, contact replies, listings you submit), to pursue legitimate interests in running a secure, useful website and understanding aggregate traffic, and to comply with law. You may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to certain processing, and to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. Contact us at hello@poochopolis.com to exercise those rights.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when the site or the law changes. The “Last updated” date at the top will change when we do. Continued use of Poochopolis after an update means you should review the new policy. If a change is material, we will post the revised policy on this page and, where appropriate, provide additional notice.

Contact us

Privacy questions, requests, or complaints:

Email: hello@poochopolis.com
Form: Contact Poochopolis

Related pages: Terms of Service, Disclaimer, and Advertising Disclosure.