Last revised: 26th Nov 2021.
The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) affects all businesses across the EU and there has been mandatory compliance since the 25th May 2018.
Village Vets (“We”) are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.
Our Privacy Policy is intended to describe to you how and what data we collect, and how and why we use your personal data. It also describes options we provide for you to access, update or otherwise take control of your personal data that we process. This policy explains how and for what purposes we use the information collected about you via this website. Please read this privacy policy carefully. By using this website and any Veterinary Services we offer via this website, you are agreeing to be bound by this policy in respect of the information collected about you via this website.
If at any time you have questions about our practices or any of your rights described below, you may reach our Data Protection Officer (“DPO”) by contacting us at [email protected]. This inbox is monitored and managed so that we can deliver an experience that you can confidently trust.
What information do we collect?
We collect information so that we can provide the best possible experience when you utilise our veterinary services (including our website). Much of what you likely consider personal data is collected directly from you when you:
(1) Register as a client with us i.e. billing information, including name, address, phone number and email;
As we have a duty of care to your animal(s), we consider all communications relating to your animal’s treatment to be classed as ‘Legitimate Interest’. Therefore we will continue to contact you in that regard.
If you visit any Village Vets clinic and either verbally consent or manually tick on our GDPR form that you consent to also receiving ‘Information’ and/or ‘Marketing’ from us, Village Vets will use the details provided by you to contact you for the purposes indicated by you.
(2)Request newsletters or other information from us (i.e. email);
We use MailChimp (or similar platforms) as our marketing automation platform. In order to be able to send you our Newsletter, your email address, first name and last name will be added to our Mailchimp mailing list. You can remove your email address from our Newsletter mailing list in Mailchimp by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any Newsletter that you receive from us.
(3) Participate in competitions and surveys, apply for a job, or otherwise participate in activities we promote that might require information about you.
We also collect additional information when delivering our veterinary services to you to ensure necessary and optimal performance. These methods of collection may not be as obvious to you, so we wanted to highlight and explain below a bit more about what these might be (as they vary from time to time) and how they work:
Account related information is collected in association with your use of our veterinary services, such as your Client ID number, purchases, veterinary services, information requests, insurance requests and notes or details explaining what you asked for and how we responded.
Cookies
A cookie is a file containing an identifier (a string of letters and numbers) that is sent by a web server to a web browser and is stored by the browser. The identifier is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server.
Cookies may be either “persistent” cookies or “session” cookies: a persistent cookie will be stored by a web browser and will remain valid until its set expiry date, unless deleted by the user before the expiry date; a session cookie, on the other hand, will expire at the end of the user session, when the web browser is closed.
Cookies may not contain any information that personally identifies a user, but personal data that we store about you may be linked to the information stored in and obtained from cookies.
Cookies that we use
We use cookies for the following purposes:
(a) authentication and status – we use cookies to identify you when you visit our website and as you navigate our website, and to help us determine if you are logged into our website;
(b) analysis – we use cookies to help us to analyse the use and performance of our website and services; and
(c) cookie consent – we use cookies to store your preferences in relation to the use of cookies more generally.
14. Cookies used by our service providers
14.1 Our service providers use cookies and those cookies may be stored on your computer when you visit our website.
We use Google Analytics. Google Analytics gathers information about the use of our website by means of cookies. The information gathered is used to create reports about the use of our website. You can find out more about Google’s use of information by visiting https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/ and you can review Google’s privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy.
We use a Facebook pixel on our website. Using the pixel, Facebook collects information about the users and use of our website. The information is used to personalise Facebook advertisements and to analyse the use of our website. To find out more about the Facebook pixel and about Facebook’s use of personal data generally, see the Facebook cookie policy at https://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies/ and the Facebook privacy policy at https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy. The Facebook cookie policy includes information about controlling Facebook’s use of cookies to show you advertisements. If you are a registered Facebook user, you can adjust how advertisements are targeted by following the instructions at https://www.facebook.com/help/568137493302217.
We use Vetstoria to process online appointment bookings. This service uses cookies for Authentication and status. You can view the privacy policy of this service provider at https://www.vetstoria.com/privacy-policy. We use Facebook Messenger as an online chat tool. This service uses cookies for Authentication and status. You can view the privacy policy of this service provider at https://www.messenger.com/privacy
Managing cookies
Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies and to delete cookies.The methods for doing so vary from browser to browser, and from version to version. You can however obtain up-to-date information about blocking and deleting cookies via these links:
(a) https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647 (Chrome);
(b) https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enhanced-tracking-protection-
firefox-desktop (Firefox);
(c) https://help.opera.com/en/latest/security-and-privacy/ (Opera);
(d) https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/17442/windows-internet- explorer-delete-manage-cookies (Internet Explorer);
(e) https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/safari/manage-cookies-and- website-data-sfri11471/mac (Safari); and
(f) https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/4468242/microsoft-edge- browsing-data-and-privacy (Edge).
15.2 Blocking all cookies will have a negative impact upon the usability of many websites.
15.3 If you block cookies, you will not be able to use all the features on our website.
Third party websites
Our website includes hyperlinks to, and details of, third party websites.
In general we have no control over, and are not responsible for, the privacy policies and practices of third parties.
Sharing with trusted third parties
We may share your personal data with trusted third party service providers as necessary for them to perform services on our behalf, such as:
Performing analysis of our Veterinary Services (including website) and customers demographics,
Communicating with you, i.e. by way of email,
Customer relationship management,
Providing important and/or urgent health care reminders and updates for your pet.
We only share your personal data as necessary for any third party to provide the services as requested or as needed on our behalf. These third parties (and any subcontractors) are subject to strict data processing terms and conditions and are prohibited from utilising, sharing or retaining your personal data for any purpose other than as they have been specifically contracted for (or without your consent).
How we utilise information
We strongly believe in both minimising the data we collect and limiting its use and purpose to only that
(1) for which we have been given permission,
(2) as necessary to deliver the veterinary services you use, purchase or interact with, or
(3) as we might be required or permitted for legal compliance or other lawful purposes.
These uses include:
Delivering, improving, updating and enhancing the Veterinary Services we provide to you.
We collect various information relating to your purchase, use and/or interactions with our Services. We utilise this information to:
Improve and optimise the operation and performance of our Veterinary Services (including our website)
Diagnose problems with and identify any security risks, errors, or needed enhancements to our Veterinary Services (including our website)
Detect and prevent fraud and abuse of our Veterinary Services (including our website) and systems
Collecting aggregate statistics about the use of the Veterinary Services (including our website)
Understand and analyse how you use our Veterinary Services (including our website) and what products and services are most relevant to you
Often, much of the data collected is aggregated or statistical data about how individuals use our Veterinary Services (including website), and is not linked to any personal data, but to the extent it is itself personal data, or is linked or linkable to personal data, we treat it accordingly.
Communicating with you
We may contact you directly regarding products or services you have signed up for or purchased from us, such as necessary to deliver transactional or service related communications. We may also contact you with offers for additional services we think you’ll find valuable if you give us consent, or where allowed based upon legitimate interests. These contacts may include:
- Text (SMS) messages
- Telephone calls
- Letter
However, please note you do not need to provide consent in order to use our services or purchase our goods.
You may also update your subscription preferences with respect to receiving communications from us and/or our partners by contacting [email protected].
Compliance with legal, regulatory and law enforcement requests. We cooperate with government and law enforcement officials and private parties to enforce and comply with the law. We will disclose any information about you to government or law enforcement officials or private parties as we, in our sole discretion, believe necessary or appropriate to respond to claims and legal process (such as subpoena requests), to protect our property and rights or the property and rights of a third party, to protect the safety of the public or any person, or to prevent or stop activity we consider to be illegal or unethical.
How we secure, store and retain your data
We follow generally accepted standards to store and protect the personal data we collect, both during transmission and once received and stored, including utilisation of encryption where appropriate.
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to provide the veterinary services you have requested and thereafter for a variety of legitimate legal or business purposes. These might include retention periods:
mandated by law, contract or similar obligations applicable to our business operations;
for preserving, resolving, defending or enforcing our legal/contractual rights; or
needed to maintain adequate and accurate business and financial records.
If you have any questions about the security or retention of your personal data, you can contact us at [email protected].
Social Media Policy
Consent and data use will be covered by terms and conditions and privacy notices of each social media platform, to which both parties (you the visitor and Village Vets) both independently agree to.
Age restrictions
Our Veterinary Services and website are available only for those over the age of 18. Our Services are not targeted to, intended to be consumed by or designed to entice individuals under the age of 18. If you know of or have reason to believe anyone under the age of 18 has provided us with any personal data, please contact us.
Your rights
Under the GDPR you have the following rights:
(a) to access your personal data
(b) To be provided with information about how your personal data is processed
(c) to have your personal data corrected
(d) to have your personal data erased in certain circumstances
(e) to object to or restrict how your personal data is processed
(f) to have your personal data transferred to yourself or to another business in certain circumstances.
You have the right to take any complaints about how we process your personal data to the Data Protection Commissioner.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about our Privacy Policy, our practices or our Services, you may contact our Office by email at [email protected].
Alternatively, you may contact us by either of the following means:
By Mail: Attn: Data Protection Officer,
Village Vets Support Office
Unit 37,Dunboyne Business Park,Dunboyne ,Co. Meath,A86 HE42
By Phone: 01 6991333
We will respond to all requests, inquiries or concerns within thirty (30) days.
