Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 2026 · Effective: April 2026

Pawbour is committed to protecting the privacy of all Calgary residents who use our platform. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, and how we use it — in plain language, as required by Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

1. Who we are

Pawbour is a community pet care platform operated out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We connect Calgary pet owners with trusted neighbours who can provide pet care in exchange for community Paws. We are the "organization" responsible for personal information under our control as defined by PIPEDA.

2. What information we collect

When you create an account we collect: your name, email address, Calgary neighbourhood, and a hashed password (we never store your password in plain text). When you post a care request we collect: your pet's name, type, and care notes, plus the dates and type of care you need. We do not currently collect payment card data — Paw purchases (if enabled) are processed by Stripe and governed by Stripe's privacy policy.

3. Why we collect it

We collect only the information necessary to operate the service: to match pet owners with neighbours, to process community Paw transactions, and to allow you to communicate through the platform. We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not use your data for advertising profiling.

4. How we store and protect it

Your data is stored in a PostgreSQL database hosted in Canada. Passwords are hashed using bcrypt (a one-way hash — we cannot recover your password). Paw transactions are recorded immutably so that disputes can be resolved fairly. We use Auth.js (JWT sessions) for authentication and never store session tokens in plain text.

5. Your rights under PIPEDA

You have the right to: (a) access your personal information held by Pawbour; (b) correct any inaccurate personal information; (c) withdraw consent at any time and request deletion of your account and associated data (subject to any legal retention requirements). To exercise these rights, email us at privacy@pawbour.ca.

6. Data retention

We retain your account information for as long as your account is active. Paw transaction records are retained for 7 years to meet CRA record-keeping requirements for electronic commerce. If you delete your account, your profile and pet data are removed immediately; transaction records are anonymized and retained for the required period.

7. Cookies and tracking

Pawbour uses a single session cookie (managed by Auth.js) to keep you logged in. We do not use third-party tracking cookies, analytics pixels, or advertising cookies.

8. Changes to this policy

We will notify registered users by email at least 14 days before any material change to this privacy policy. The current version is always available at pawbour.ca/privacy.

9. Contact

Privacy questions, access requests, or complaints can be directed to: privacy@pawbour.ca — we will respond within 30 days as required by PIPEDA. You also have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca if you are not satisfied with our response.