We care deeply about you and your furry family. Here's exactly how we look after your information.
Effective Date: 24 March 2026 · Version 1.0Welcome to PawConnect, brought to you by Goepies. We built this app because pets bring people together — and protecting the people who love them is something we take very seriously.
This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what rights you have. We've written it in plain language so that it's easy to understand, but rest assured that everything in here is fully aligned with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) of South Africa and internationally recognised best practices.
By using PawConnect, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If anything isn't clear, please reach out to us — we're always happy to help.
PawConnect is developed and operated by Goepies, a South Africa–based company dedicated to creating meaningful connections between pet owners and their communities.
As the responsible party under POPIA, Goepies determines the purpose and means of processing your personal information. Our Information Officer is responsible for ensuring that your data is handled lawfully, fairly, and with the utmost care.
We will never sell your personal information. We will never use it for purposes you haven't consented to. And we will always treat your data the way we'd want ours to be treated — with respect, transparency, and care.
We only collect what we genuinely need to give you a great experience. Here's a breakdown:
| Category | What We Collect | Why We Need It |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Full name, email address, password (hashed) | To create and secure your account |
| Profile | Profile photo, biography, contact number, suburb/area | To personalise your experience and help others find you |
| Emergency Contact | Secondary contact name and number | For safety in Lost Pet Alert situations |
| Pet Profiles | Pet name, species, breed, age, photos, microchip number, vet details | To manage your pet's information within the app |
| Medical Records | Vaccination history, diagnoses, treatments, vet visit notes | To maintain your pet's health records |
| Location | Approximate or precise GPS coordinates (when permitted) | For Lost Pet Alerts and Walking Trail suggestions |
| Messages | Community chat messages, Singles Lounge chat messages | To enable community interaction and moderation |
| Device | Device type, OS version, app version, crash logs | To diagnose issues and improve app stability |
| Usage | Screens visited, features used, interaction frequency | To understand how to improve the app |
Most fields are optional. You can choose how much you share on your profile. The more you share, the richer your experience — but we'll never pressure you to share more than you're comfortable with.
We use your personal information for the following purposes, all grounded in a legitimate reason under POPIA:
We will only send you marketing or promotional messages if you have explicitly opted in. You can opt out at any time — no questions asked.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. Full stop. We may share limited information only in the following circumstances:
| Who We May Share With | What We Share | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Service Providers | Technical data necessary to deliver the service | Cloud hosting, analytics, crash reporting — all under strict data-processing agreements |
| Other Users | Only what you choose to make public on your profile | Community interaction, Lost Pet Alerts, Singles Lounge matches |
| Law Enforcement / Courts | Information required by valid legal order | Compliance with South African law; we will notify you where legally permitted |
| Business Transfers | Information necessary for continuity of service | In the unlikely event of a merger or acquisition — you will be notified in advance |
Medical data for your pets is exclusively for your personal use. It is never shared with third parties, advertisers, insurance companies, or any external organisation without your explicit written consent.
PawConnect uses your location to power two core features: Lost Pet Alerts and Walking Trails.
The Singles Lounge is a completely optional feature that allows single pet owners to connect with compatible matches in their area.
We encourage you to meet matches in public places and share your plans with a trusted person.
Because the Singles Lounge involves deeply personal decisions about who you connect with, we hold the data that powers your matches to an exceptionally high standard of privacy.
The information that powers your matches exists solely to find you meaningful connections within PawConnect. It is never sold to third parties, never used to build advertising profiles, and never disclosed to other users beyond what you explicitly choose to show on your public profile.
| Matching Data | What We Use | What We Never Use |
|---|---|---|
| Location | General area / suburb radius | Precise GPS coordinates never shared with other users |
| Pet Compatibility | Pet types, number of pets, breeds | Your pet's medical records are completely excluded |
| Profile Signals | Profile completeness score, tenure in app | Account activity outside the Singles Lounge |
| Engagement | Whether you've viewed or interacted with a suggested profile (to avoid repeat suggestions) | How long you view a profile, or engagement patterns used to build a behavioural score |
| Sensitive Attributes | None | Race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, health status — never collected, inferred, or factored in |
How the matching algorithm works — transparently:
When you toggle off the Singles Lounge, your profile is immediately removed from all match pools. Your matching data is retained for 30 days in case you re-activate, then permanently deleted.
Under POPIA, you have the right to understand how automated decisions affect you. On request, we will explain the factors and weights that determined your compatibility score with any given match. Email privacy@goepies.co.za with the subject line "Matching Data Request" and we will respond within 30 days.
Your pet's medical records are private to your account. They are never shared, sold, or used for any purpose other than displaying them back to you in the app.
We keep your information only for as long as it is needed — no longer.
| Data Type | How Long We Keep It |
|---|---|
| Account & Profile Information | Until you delete your account, then purged within 30 days |
| Pet Profiles & Medical Records | Until you delete them or your account, then purged within 30 days |
| Location Data (Alerts) | Deleted when the alert is resolved or after 90 days, whichever is sooner |
| Community Chat Messages | 12 months (anonymised if account is deleted) |
| Singles Lounge Chat Messages | 6 months after the conversation ends or account is closed |
| Device / Crash Logs | 90 days |
| Legal & Compliance Records | As required by South African law (generally 5–7 years) |
You can permanently delete your account at any time directly in the app — go to Edit Profile → Danger Zone → Delete Account and confirm with your password. Your profile, pets, and pet photos are deleted immediately; your Community Chat messages are anonymised rather than erased, as described in Section 9. If you're unable to access the app, you can also request deletion by emailing privacy@goepies.co.za.
The Protection of Personal Information Act gives you powerful rights over your personal information.
Request a copy of all personal information we hold about you.
Ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.
Request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal obligations.
Object to the processing of your information for direct marketing or other purposes.
Ask us to temporarily pause processing your information while a query is being resolved.
Receive your data in a commonly used, machine-readable format.
Be informed promptly if your personal information is ever involved in a data breach.
Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your rights have been violated.
Account deletion is available directly in the app (Edit Profile → Danger Zone → Delete Account). For all other rights — access, correction, objection, restriction, or portability — email privacy@goepies.co.za with the subject line "Privacy Rights Request". We will respond within 30 days. There is no charge.
Information Regulator of South Africa: inforegulator.org.za · inforeg@justice.gov.za · 012 406 4818
PawConnect does not store, process, or transmit raw payment card numbers, CVV codes, or banking credentials on our own servers. All payment processing is handled exclusively by certified, PCI DSS–compliant third-party payment providers.
| Financial Data Type | How We Handle It |
|---|---|
| Payment Card Information | Never stored by Goepies. Tokenised and processed entirely by our PCI DSS–compliant payment partner. |
| Transaction Records | We retain purchase history (date, amount, subscription type) for billing support and legal compliance — never for profiling. |
| Billing Address | Used solely for fraud prevention and VAT compliance. Encrypted at rest and never shared with advertisers. |
| Subscription Status | Stored to manage your access to paid features. Deleted within 30 days of account closure. |
Our cloud provider secures the physical infrastructure. Goepies is responsible for encrypting your data, controlling access, configuring services securely, and meeting our legal obligations to you.
If your data is ever processed outside South Africa, we ensure the receiving country offers an adequate level of data protection, or we put in place contractual protections as required by POPIA Section 72.
PawConnect is intended for users aged 18 years and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 18.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has created an account, please contact us immediately at privacy@goepies.co.za. We will promptly investigate and delete any such account along with all associated data.
The latest version is always available at goepies.co.za/privacy and within the PawConnect app under Settings → Privacy Policy.
We're real people who genuinely care about getting this right. If you have any questions, concerns, or requests about your privacy, please don't hesitate to reach out.
As required by Apple App Store Connect and Google Play Console, we provide a comprehensive disclosure of the data our app collects, how it is used, and which third-party partners receive or process data through PawConnect.
| Data Category | Data Type | Purpose | Linked to Identity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Info | Name, email address | Account creation, app functionality, customer support | Yes |
| Contact Info | Phone number / suburb | App functionality (profile, Lost Pet Alerts) | Yes |
| Location | Precise or coarse location | App functionality (Lost Pet Alerts, Walking Trails) | Yes |
| User Content | Photos, profile bio, pet data | App functionality, community features | Yes |
| User Content | Chat messages | App functionality (Community Chat, Singles Lounge) | Yes |
| Identifiers | User ID, device ID | App functionality, analytics, crash reporting | Yes |
| Usage Data | Product interaction, screen views | Analytics, app improvement | No |
| Diagnostics | Crash data, performance data | App stability and debugging | No |
| Financial Info | Purchase history, subscription status | In-app purchases, billing support | Yes |
Third-Party Partners — Integrated SDKs
| Partner | Service | Data Accessed | Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Firebase | Auth, database, storage, crash reporting, push notifications | Account credentials, user content, device IDs, crash logs | policies.google.com/privacy |
| PayFast (Peach Payments) | In-app payment processing | Payment data (tokenised), subscription status | payfast.io/privacy-policy |
| Google Maps / Expo Location | Maps, walking trails, Lost Pet proximity | GPS location (only while feature is active) | policies.google.com/privacy |
| Expo (Expo Inc.) | Build, OTA updates, push notifications | Device ID, app version, push token | expo.dev/privacy |
PawConnect is available on iOS and Android. These data practices are consistent across both platforms. Where data collection differs, the more comprehensive disclosure is applied to both platforms so all users receive complete and accurate information.
Apple requires all App Store apps to provide a complete and accurate Privacy Nutrition Label. This section is the authoritative, Admin-certified disclosure for PawConnect, covering all first-party data practices and those of all third-party SDKs integrated into the app.
PawConnect does NOT use the Apple App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework and does NOT track users across other companies' apps or websites. We do not serve targeted advertising, do not share data with data brokers, and do not use advertising identifiers (IDFA). No user tracking of any kind occurs.
Complete Data Collection Disclosure
| Category | Data Type | Tracking | Linked to Identity | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Info | Name | No | Yes | App Functionality |
| Contact Info | Email Address | No | Yes | App Functionality |
| Contact Info | Phone Number | No | Yes | App Functionality |
| Contact Info | Physical Address (suburb/area) | No | Yes | App Functionality |
| Location | Precise Location (GPS) | No | Yes | App Functionality |
| User Content | Photos & Videos | No | Yes | App Functionality |
| User Content | Other User Content (bio, chat, pet data) | No | Yes | App Functionality |
| Identifiers | User ID | No | Yes | App Functionality, Analytics |
| Identifiers | Device ID | No | Yes | App Functionality, Analytics |
| Purchases | Purchase History | No | Yes | App Functionality |
| Usage Data | Product Interaction | No | No | Analytics |
| Diagnostics | Crash Data | No | No | App Functionality |
| Diagnostics | Performance Data | No | No | App Functionality |
Data NOT Collected
This App Privacy disclosure has been reviewed and certified as complete and accurate by an authorised Account Holder / Admin of Goepies (Pty) Ltd. It covers all data collected by PawConnect and all third-party SDKs integrated into the app, across all platforms, as required by Apple App Store Connect before an app may be submitted for review.
Privacy Policy URL: https://www.pawconnect.co.za/privacy-policy