1. Introduction and Company Information
This Privacy Policy explains how Maple Haven Animal Shelter Society collects, uses, discloses, stores, and protects personal information in the course of operating an animal shelter and related services in Canada. We are committed to respecting your privacy and handling personal information in accordance with applicable Canadian privacy laws, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and, where applicable, Alberta privacy laws.
Maple Haven Animal Shelter Society is located at 405 Spray Ave, Banff, AB T1L 1B8, Canada. You may contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at +1 (403) 762-2287.
This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected through our website, donation and volunteer forms, adoption applications, foster applications, event registrations, communications, and any in-person or online interactions with Maple Haven Animal Shelter Society.
2. Data Collection and Processing
We collect personal information only as reasonably necessary for our activities. The types of personal information we may collect include:
- Identity and contact information: name, address, email address, phone number, and preferred communication method.
- Application information: details provided in adoption, foster, volunteer, and donation-related forms.
- Animal care-related information: information relevant to pet adoption suitability, household composition, experience with animals, references, and living conditions.
- Transaction information: donation amounts, payment status, and related administrative records. We do not typically store full payment card details; these are generally processed by third-party payment providers.
- Communications: inquiries, feedback, complaint records, and correspondence with our staff or volunteers.
- Website and technical data: IP address, browser type, device information, log data, and cookies or similar technologies, where used.
- Images and video: photographs or recordings captured during shelter activities, events, or for promotional and educational purposes, where consent is obtained or otherwise permitted by law.
We may collect personal information directly from you, from authorized representatives, from referees or veterinarians listed in your application, from payment processors, from service providers, or from publicly available sources where permitted by law.
We limit collection to what is necessary for legitimate shelter operations, including animal welfare, adoption screening, volunteer coordination, donor administration, and community engagement.
3. Purpose of Data Processing
We use personal information for the following purposes:
- to process adoption, foster, and volunteer applications;
- to assess suitability for animal adoption or fostering and to support animal welfare decisions;
- to manage donations, issue receipts where applicable, and maintain donor records;
- to respond to inquiries, requests, and complaints;
- to communicate about shelter operations, events, campaigns, and updates, subject to applicable consent and anti-spam requirements;
- to maintain records for internal administration, reporting, auditing, and compliance;
- to improve our website, services, and communications;
- to protect the safety and security of our animals, staff, volunteers, visitors, and property;
- to meet legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, and operational obligations; and
- to detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, misuse, unauthorized access, or other harmful activity.
We will not use personal information for purposes that are incompatible with the original purposes for which it was collected, unless permitted or required by law or with your consent.
4. Legal Basis for Processing
Canadian privacy law does not always require a formal “legal basis” in the same manner as some other jurisdictions; however, we process personal information only when we have a lawful and appropriate basis to do so. Depending on the circumstances, our processing may be based on one or more of the following:
- Consent: when you voluntarily provide information or agree to specific uses, such as receiving communications or permitting the use of images.
- Contractual necessity: where processing is needed to evaluate or carry out adoption, foster, volunteer, donation, or service-related arrangements.
- Legitimate interests: where processing is necessary for the reasonable operation of Maple Haven Animal Shelter Society, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.
- Legal and regulatory compliance: where processing is required to comply with tax, accounting, charity, employment, consumer protection, or other applicable legal obligations.
- Protection of vital interests and safety: where processing is necessary to protect the health or safety of individuals or animals under our care.
Where consent is required, you may withdraw it at any time, subject to legal or operational limitations described in this Policy.
5. Data Sharing and Third Parties
We may share personal information only as necessary and only with appropriate safeguards. Third parties may include:
- Payment processors and financial institutions for donation and transaction processing;
- Veterinarians, animal care professionals, and partner rescue organizations for animal welfare and adoption-related coordination;
- IT, hosting, cloud storage, and website service providers that support our operations;
- Email, communication, and analytics service providers used to manage outreach and service delivery;
- Government authorities, regulators, courts, or law enforcement when required or permitted by law;
- Professional advisors such as accountants, auditors, insurers, or legal counsel;
- Volunteer coordinators or references where necessary to evaluate suitability for shelter-related roles or placements.
We require service providers to protect personal information and use it only for authorized purposes. We do not sell personal information.
In some cases, we may disclose limited information necessary to ensure the welfare of an animal, verify an application, prevent harm, or comply with legal obligations.
6. Data Transfer to Third Countries
Some of our service providers may store or process personal information outside Canada, including in other provinces, the United States, or other jurisdictions. As a result, personal information may be subject to the laws of those jurisdictions and may be accessible to courts, law enforcement, or regulatory authorities there.
Where we transfer personal information outside Canada, we take reasonable steps to ensure a comparable level of protection through contractual safeguards, vendor due diligence, and appropriate technical and organizational measures. By using our services or providing personal information to us, you acknowledge that such transfers may occur where necessary for the services we use.
7. Storage Duration
We retain personal information only as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, to meet legal, accounting, tax, charitable, or operational requirements, and to resolve disputes or enforce agreements.
Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record. For example:
- adoption and foster application records may be retained for an appropriate period for animal welfare and administrative purposes;
- donation and financial records may be retained for periods required by tax and accounting laws;
- volunteer records may be retained for operational, safety, and reference purposes;
- communications and inquiry records may be retained for service and continuity purposes.
When personal information is no longer required, we will securely delete, destroy, or anonymize it in accordance with our retention procedures and applicable law.
8. User Rights
Subject to applicable legal exceptions and verification of identity, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Access: request access to the personal information we hold about you and information about how it is used;
- Rectification: request correction of inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated personal information;
- Erasure: request deletion of personal information in certain circumstances, where permitted by law;
- Restriction: request that we limit processing in certain circumstances;
- Data portability: request a copy of certain information in a portable format, where applicable under law;
- Objection: object to certain processing based on legitimate interests or direct communications, where applicable.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in the Contact Information section. We may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within a reasonable period and in accordance with applicable Canadian privacy law.
Some rights may be limited where disclosure would reveal personal information about another person, where legal privilege applies, or where retention is required by law.
9. Withdrawal of Consent
Where we rely on your consent to process personal information, you may withdraw that consent at any time by contacting us. For example, you may withdraw consent for receiving promotional emails by using the unsubscribe link in the message or by contacting us directly.
Withdrawal of consent does not affect processing that has already occurred, and it may not prevent us from continuing to process information where another lawful basis applies or where retention is required by law. In some cases, withdrawing consent may limit our ability to provide certain services, such as processing an adoption or volunteer application.
10. Right to Complain
If you have concerns about how Maple Haven Animal Shelter Society handles your personal information, we encourage you to contact us first so we can attempt to resolve the issue promptly and fairly.
You may also have the right to file a complaint with the appropriate privacy regulator in Canada, such as the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, or with a provincial privacy authority where applicable.
We will cooperate with any lawful investigation and take complaints seriously. We may request information to help us understand and address your concern.
11. Data Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. These measures may include:
- access controls and role-based permissions;
- secure storage systems and password protections;
- encryption or other security tools where appropriate;
- staff and volunteer confidentiality expectations and training;
- monitoring for suspicious activity and incident response procedures;
- physical safeguards for paper records and restricted areas.
No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. While we work to protect personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a privacy incident occurs, we will respond in accordance with applicable law and take steps to mitigate potential harm.
12. Contact Information
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, our privacy practices, or your personal information, please contact:
Maple Haven Animal Shelter Society
405 Spray Ave
Banff, AB T1L 1B8
Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 (403) 762-2287
Please include sufficient information in your request so we can identify you and respond appropriately. We may require additional details to verify your identity before disclosing or modifying personal information.
13. Changes to Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, legal requirements, or operational needs. Any updated version will be posted on our website with a revised effective date where appropriate.
Your continued interaction with Maple Haven Animal Shelter Society after changes are posted means you acknowledge the updated Privacy Policy, subject to any rights you may have under applicable law. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.
Effective date: September 23, 2026