Privacy Policy

1.Who is responsible for your information

State of the Heart Canine Grooming is a sole proprietorship. The owner is accountable for the personal information in our care, and serves as the privacy contact for the business.

Privacy questions or requests may be directed to:

2.What personal information we collect

When you contact us, request an appointment, or use our services, we may collect:

• Your name, email address, and phone number;
• Your service address (your home or the location where grooming takes place) and parking or access details;
• Information about your dog: name, breed, age, size, coat type, grooming and behaviour background, and any health or comfort notes you choose to share;
• Photos or documents you upload (for example, images of your dog or its coat);
• Your service preferences and availability; and
• Any other information you include in your message.

We also collect limited website usage information automatically — see “Cookies and analytics” below.

Please do not submit payment card details or your own medical information through our website.

3.Why we collect it

We use your personal information to:

• respond to your inquiry and communicate with you;
• assess your dog’s needs and schedule, prepare for, and provide grooming services;
• travel to and locate your address for mobile service;
• keep records related to the services we provide; and
• understand and improve our website.

We will not use your information for any other purpose without your consent, except where permitted or required by law.

4.Your consent

By submitting our contact form and checking the consent box, you consent to our collection and use of your information for the purposes described above. We do not use your information to send marketing or promotional messages unless you have separately agreed to receive them.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us at info@stateoftheheartcanine.com, subject to legal or contractual restrictions. Withdrawing consent may limit our ability to provide services to you.

5.How we store your information and who can access it

Inquiries submitted through our website, including any photos or documents you upload, are delivered to and stored in our business email inbox. Access is limited to the business owner and any staff who need the information to provide services.

6.Service providers and information stored outside Canada

We may use third-party booking, invoicing, scheduling, and communication platforms to help operate our business. Some of these providers store or process personal information outside Canada, primarily in the United States:

• Resend — email delivery (United States);
• Namecheap Private Email — email hosting / our inbox (United States);
• MoeGo — booking, invoicing, scheduling, and client communication platform (United States);
• Google Analytics — website analytics (United States), loaded only after you accept analytics cookies;
• Hostinger — website hosting (United States).

When personal information is handled outside Canada, it may be accessible to the courts, law enforcement, and government authorities of that country under their laws. You may contact us at info@stateoftheheartcanine.com to ask about our use of service providers outside Canada, including which countries your information may be processed in and for what purposes.

7.Payments

Payments are processed through third-party payment providers. We do not store full credit card information ourselves.

8.Cookies and analytics

Our website uses Google Analytics to help us understand how visitors use the site (such as the pages you visit and your approximate location). Google Analytics relies on cookies and similar technologies, and information is processed by Google in the United States.

Opt-in consent. Analytics cookies are not set when you first visit the site. The first time you arrive we ask whether you accept analytics cookies through a cookie banner. Google Analytics is only loaded if you choose Accept. If you choose Decline— or close the banner without choosing — no analytics cookies are set.

Changing or withdrawing your choice. You can change your preference at any time using the Cookie Preferences link in the website footer. You may also opt out using Google’s browser-based opt-out add-on.

Browser controls. Most browsers let you view, manage, block, or delete cookies through their settings. Refer to the help pages for your browser — for example, the cookie or privacy settings in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge — to control how cookies are stored on your device. Please note that disabling cookies may affect how parts of this website function.

9.Photographs of pets

We take photographs of pets for grooming records, educational purposes, or social media and marketing use. We will request permission before using identifiable images publicly.

10.How long we keep your information

We retain personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for business, legal, tax, safety, or operational purposes. Grooming history and client records may be retained for several years to support continuity of care, safety documentation, legal obligations, and business record keeping.

11.How we protect your information

We use reasonable physical, organizational, and technological safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information, including limited access and reputable service providers. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your information against loss, theft, and unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.

12.Your rights

Under Alberta’s PIPA, you may:

• request access to the personal information we hold about you;
• request correction of information that is inaccurate;
• ask questions about how we handle your information; and
• withdraw your consent.

To make a request, email info@stateoftheheartcanine.com. We will respond within the time required by law. A minimal fee may apply to certain access requests as permitted by PIPA, and we will tell you in advance if so.

13.Children

Our services are intended for adult pet owners and guardians. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

14.Privacy breaches

If a breach of our security safeguards creates a real risk of significant harm to you, we will notify you and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta as required by law.

15.Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top shows the most recent version.

16.How to contact us

For any privacy question, request, or concern, contact us at info@stateoftheheartcanine.com.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta (oipc.ab.ca, 1-888-878-4044). Where PIPEDA applies, you may also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (priv.gc.ca).