Privacy Policy for Petpal

Last Updated: March 31, 2026

Introduction

Welcome to Petpal ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and the privacy of your pets. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use the Petpal mobile application for iPhone and iPad.

Summary (current version)

Petpal does not collect or use your device location in this build. There is no Travel Mode, no map-based place search, and no separate “Shop” home tile—those features are not part of the app. The home screen is customizable; typical areas include Reminders, AI Vet, Health History, Pet Care Notes, Insurance, Weight Tracker, Certificates, Emergency QR, and Pet Deals (exact tiles depend on what you show and how you order them). Optional Developer Tip Jar for voluntary tips is available from Settings.

Data you enter stays on your device and, if you use iCloud, in your Apple iCloud account via CloudKit—we do not run our own database for your pet records.

Optional Vet AI sends only the text you type to AI providers you configure (or a proxy). In-app purchases (subscriptions and tips) are processed by Apple. Pet Deals and Insurance may include affiliate or partner links to third-party retailers, membership programs, supplement sellers, and pharmacies; we may earn a commission when you buy or sign up through those links, at no extra cost to you. Pet Deals is informational only—we do not endorse third-party products or services as a substitute for veterinary advice.

Information You Provide

You may store the following in the app (all optional except where a feature needs it):

• Pet profiles: Name, species, breed, weight, units, date of birth, photo, activity flag, care contacts (vet, groomer), microchip fields
• Reminders: Titles, schedules, categories, notes, linked pet
• Health history: Visit logs, notes, and related fields you add
• Vet documents: Files and metadata you attach in the health / vet document flows
• Certificates: Titles, type, expiration, notes, and file attachments (images/PDFs)
• Insurance: Policy and claim-related fields you choose to enter
• Pet sitter instructions: Feeding, medications, emergency contacts, and similar notes you enter
• Emergency / QR profile: Information you choose to include for emergency sharing (and optional links to a hosted emergency page you control)
• Weight tracker: Dated weight entries per pet
• Tile and tip preferences: Home layout and health-tip settings stored in the app database
• Vet AI: Only the messages you send in the chat (and any context the app attaches for that request, such as a short pet summary you have enabled)—not your full database as a bulk upload

Information We Do Not Collect (this release)

• Location: Petpal does not request GPS or continuous location for normal use. We do not operate map-based discovery, nearby-place search, or similar location-driven features in this version. If we add a location-based feature later, we will update this policy and App Store disclosures before collecting location.
• We do not sell your data, do not use it for third-party advertising, and do not embed ad or cross-app tracking SDKs in Petpal.

Automatically Collected / Device-Related

• Notifications: If you allow notifications, the system may show local reminders you create in the app. We do not send marketing push notifications from our servers for Petpal.
• Photos / camera / library: Used only when you pick or take a pet photo, save a shared image, or attach a document, as described in the system permission prompts.
• Apple diagnostics: Apple may provide aggregated crash and App Store analytics to the developer (for example via Xcode and App Store Connect). That is governed by Apple’s policies.

How We Use Your Information

• Provide pet profiles, reminders, health and certificate storage, weight tracking, emergency QR, insurance and sitter notes, and related UI
• Schedule local notifications for reminders you create
• If enabled, call optional AI APIs with your Vet AI prompts
• If enabled, complete in-app purchases through Apple’s StoreKit

Data Storage and Sync

On your device (SwiftData)

Pet profiles, reminders, health data, certificates, attachments, weight entries, preferences, and similar content are stored in an on-device database using Apple’s SwiftData. We do not copy that database to our own servers.

iCloud (CloudKit)

If you are signed in to iCloud and CloudKit sync is active, that same app data can sync to Apple’s private CloudKit database for your Apple ID across your devices. Apple operates that infrastructure; see Apple’s Privacy Policy at https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/. Sync can take time—open the app on Wi‑Fi or cellular occasionally. If iCloud is unavailable, Petpal continues with local storage on that device.

Backup export / import

You may export selected categories to JSON or ZIP and share the file (Mail, AirDrop, Files, etc.). Anyone with the file can read it. Import can merge, update, or replace data depending on the option you choose.

Network / Third-Party Services

These apply only when you use the relevant feature or sign in:

• Apple iCloud / CloudKit — Optional sync of your app data between your devices.
• Apple StoreKit — Optional subscriptions (e.g. Vet AI plans) and optional in-app tips; payment handled by Apple.
• Anthropic / Google (Gemini) — Optional Vet AI responses when you configure API keys or use supported flows in the app.
• Cloudflare Worker (or similar) proxy — Optional: may relay Vet AI requests if a proxy URL is configured—only request content you send, not your full pet database.
• Hosted emergency page — If you use the optional static emergency page feature, that page is served from infrastructure you configure (e.g. GitHub Pages); visitors only see what you put on that page.

Opening external websites (for example insurance resources, Pet Deals merchants, product recommendations, or App Store links) is governed by those sites’ policies.

Affiliate and partner links: When you tap a link and it opens in Safari (or another browser), Petpal does not run that website and does not control cookies, analytics, or personal data collected on that site. Merchants, affiliate networks, and partners may use cookies, pixels, or similar technologies under their privacy policies. We do not receive your full browsing history from those sites through normal use of Petpal. Promotional codes or discounts shown in the app are subject to each merchant’s terms and may change without notice.

Data Sharing

We do not:

• Sell your personal information
• Share your pet health records with advertisers
• Use your data for cross-app tracking

AI providers and Apple receive only what is necessary for the feature you use (e.g. prompt text for AI; purchase tokens for IAP), as described above.

Purchases

Subscriptions and tips are processed by Apple. We do not receive your full credit card number. See Apple’s terms and privacy notice for purchases.

Your Rights and Controls

• Access / edit / delete data inside the app
• Export via Backup & restore
• Opt out of AI by not using Vet AI or not adding keys
• iCloud: Manage sync via your Apple ID / iCloud settings
• Notifications: Change in iOS Settings for Petpal
• Contact: See below for privacy questions

Data Retention

Data remains on device (and in your iCloud private database if sync is on) until you delete it or replace it via import. Deleting the app removes the local copy on that device; iCloud data may remain until you delete content in-app or manage iCloud storage. Backup files you keep elsewhere are your responsibility.

Children’s Privacy

Petpal is not directed at children under 13. The app is intended for pet owners who can lawfully consent to processing.

Security

We rely on Apple’s platform security for on-device storage and TLS for network requests where applicable. No method of storage or transmission is 100% secure.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy. Material changes will be reflected in the Last Updated date and, when appropriate, in app release notes or the hosted policy page.

Medical Disclaimer

Petpal is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary care.

Contact

Operator: Emilio Alecci (Florida, United States) Email (privacy & support): ealecci@gmail.com Policy URL (canonical for App Store Connect): https://thyghos.github.io/petpal/privacy.html — legacy mirror: https://thyghos.github.io/petpal-privacy/

Consent

By using Petpal, you agree to this Privacy Policy.

Effective date: March 31, 2026

We treat your pet’s information as sensitive and do not sell it.