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Privacy Policy – Katie’s Happy Hounds
Last updated: 4 April 2026
Katie’s Happy Hounds (“we”, “us”, “our”) provides professional dog walking and sitting services in Hertford and surrounding areas in Hertfordshire, UK. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data fairly, lawfully and transparently.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and protect your personal data when you visit our website, make a booking, contact us, or use our services.
If you have any questions, you can contact us at:
Email: Katieshappyhoundsco@gmail.com
Phone: 07592187579
Address: Hertfordshire, UK
1. Who we are
Katie’s Happy Hounds is owned and operated by Katie Deeprose, a professional dog walker and sitter based in Hertford, Hertfordshire, UK. For the purposes of UK data protection law (including the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018), we are the “data controller” of your personal data collected through this website and our services.
2. What personal data we collect
We may collect and process the following types of personal data:
a) Information you provide directly
• Name and contact details (such as email address, phone number, home address)
• Information about your dog(s) (name, age, breed, behaviour, medical needs, vet details)
• Booking details (services requested, dates, times, locations, special instructions)
• Messages you send via contact forms, email, phone, or social media
• Account details if you create an account or log in as a member (such as login email and profile information)
b) Booking and payment information
• Service history and upcoming bookings
• Payment-related information (for example, billing address and transaction details). Payment card details are processed securely by our payment providers and are not stored by us.
c) Website and usage data
When you visit our website, certain information may be collected automatically, such as:
• IP address and approximate location
• Device and browser type
• Pages viewed, links clicked, and time spent on the site
• Referring website or source
This may be collected through cookies and similar technologies (see Section 6).
3. How we use your personal data
We use your personal data to:
• Provide and manage our dog walking and sitting services
• Manage bookings, payments, cancellations and refunds
• Communicate with you about your enquiries, bookings and our services
• Tailor our care to your dog’s needs and keep them safe and comfortable
• Maintain our records and accounts
• Improve our website, services and customer experience
• Send important service updates, such as changes to bookings, terms or policies
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations (for example, tax and accounting)
We do not sell your personal data.
4. Legal bases for processing (UK GDPR)
We process your personal data under the following legal bases:
• Contract: To take steps at your request before entering into a contract and to perform our contract with you (for example, to provide dog walking or sitting services, manage bookings and payments).
• Legitimate interests: To run and improve our business, communicate with you, keep records, and ensure the safety and welfare of your dog(s), provided these interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Legal obligation: To comply with legal and regulatory requirements (for example, tax, accounting, insurance and record-keeping).
• Consent: Where required, for example for certain cookies or marketing communications. You can withdraw your consent at any time (see Section 9).
5. Sharing your personal data
We may share your personal data with:
• Service providers who help us run our website and business (for example, website hosting, booking and payment platforms, email and messaging tools).
• Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers or legal advisers, where necessary.
• Authorities or regulators where we are legally required to do so (for example, for law enforcement or regulatory purposes).
These third parties are only given the information they need to perform their services and are required to keep your data secure and use it only for the agreed purposes. If we ever need to share information with your vet or emergency contacts (for example, in an emergency involving your dog), we will do so only where necessary to protect your dog’s health and welfare.
6. Cookies and analytics
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:
• Make the site work properly and securely
• Remember your preferences (such as language or cookie choices)
• Understand how visitors use the site so we can improve it
• Support features such as online booking and payments
Some cookies are essential for the site to function. Others (such as analytics or marketing cookies) may require your consent, which you can manage through your browser settings or any cookie banner provided on the site. You can usually set your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being used. If you disable certain cookies, some parts of the website may not function correctly.
7. How we store and protect your data
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or destruction. Your data may be stored in secure systems provided by trusted third-party service providers (for example, website hosting, booking and payment platforms). These providers are chosen for their security standards and are required to protect your data. While we do our best to protect your personal data, no system can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.
8. How long we keep your data
We keep your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including:
• For as long as you are a client and we are providing services to you
• For a reasonable period afterwards, to handle queries, disputes or legal claims
• For as long as required by law (for example, for tax and accounting records)
When we no longer need your data, we will delete it or anonymise it.
9. Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you have certain rights in relation to your personal data, including:
• Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure – to ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances
• Right to restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases
• Right to data portability – to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format and/or ask us to transfer it to another organisation, where applicable
• Right to object – to object to certain types of processing, including direct marketing
• Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at: Email: Katieshappyhoundsco@gmail.com. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with how we handle your data. For more information, visit www.ico.org.uk.
10. Children’s data
Our services are aimed at adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 18 without appropriate consent from a parent or guardian. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us so we can delete it where appropriate.
11. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements or how we handle personal data. When we make changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about how we protect your privacy.
12. How to contact us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact:
Katie’s Happy Hounds
Email: Katieshappyhoundsco@gmail.com
Phone: 07592187579
Hertfordshire, UK