Our commitment
CatsNextDoor helps neighbors share lost and found animal reports, sightings, and community updates. This policy explains what information we collect, why we use it, when other people can see it, and the choices available to you.
Public maps use approximate, generalized locations. Exact addresses and coordinates submitted for profiles, reports, and sightings are kept private from other members.
Information we collect
Account and profile information
We collect information you provide when creating or maintaining an account, such as your email address, display name, profile photo, biography, authentication information, animal preferences, and notification choices. If you use a third-party sign-in provider, we receive the account information that provider makes available to us.
Location information
We collect the address and coordinates you select for neighborhood setup, lost or found reports, and sightings. We use exact locations to determine relevant neighborhoods and search areas. Other members receive only a neighborhood, location description, or generalized map area as appropriate.
Animal and community content
We collect pet profiles, photos, descriptions, identifying characteristics, lost and found reports, sightings, posts, comments, reactions, share activity, and report status updates that you submit.
Messages and communications
We store direct messages and community discussions so participants can communicate and conversations remain available. We also collect communications you send to CatsNextDoor, including support requests.
Technical information
Our hosting, authentication, mapping, and infrastructure providers may automatically process information such as IP address, browser or device type, request timestamps, security events, and cookies or similar storage needed to operate and protect the service.
How we use information
- Provide accounts, profiles, neighborhood feeds, reports, maps, messaging, and community features.
- Show relevant lost, found, and sighting activity near a selected area.
- Protect exact locations while creating useful approximate public search areas.
- Send account, security, and opted-in community notifications.
- Prevent abuse, investigate safety concerns, enforce our rules, and secure the service.
- Maintain, troubleshoot, measure, and improve CatsNextDoor.
- Comply with law and protect the rights and safety of members, animals, and the public.
What is public and what stays private
Visible to other members
Your display name, profile photo, biography, neighborhood, pet summaries, community posts, comments, reactions, and information included in published reports or sightings may be visible to other signed-in members. Lost and found content may be designed for broader sharing when you choose to share it.
Restricted information
Your email address, exact home address, exact private coordinates, private contact information, notification settings, and account credentials are not displayed publicly. Direct messages are limited to conversation participants. Authorized service providers and CatsNextDoor personnel may access restricted information only as needed to operate, secure, support, or comply with legal obligations.
Do not include sensitive personal information in public posts, comments, profile text, photos, or location descriptions.
Your choices and rights
You can update your public profile, household animal preference, pet details, feed choices, and email notification preferences from your account. Email community notifications are opt-in and can be turned off without deleting stored posts or messages.
You can permanently delete your account from Settings. Account deletion removes your profile and associated application records and attempts to remove your uploaded files. Limited information may remain when required for security, legal compliance, dispute resolution, or in provider backups until those backups expire.
Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, or obtain a copy of personal information. Contact us to make a request. We may need to verify your identity before completing it.
Security and retention
We use technical and organizational safeguards intended to protect information, including authenticated access, database row-level security, private file storage, server-side authorization, and generalized public map locations. No internet service can guarantee absolute security.
We retain information while your account is active and as reasonably needed to provide the service, maintain safety and integrity, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and meet legal obligations. Retention periods vary by the type of information and why it is held.
Cookies and similar technologies
CatsNextDoor and its providers use cookies, browser storage, and similar technologies that are necessary for sign-in, session security, preferences, and core site operation. If optional analytics or advertising technologies are introduced, this policy and any required consent controls will be updated before they are used.
Children's privacy
CatsNextDoor is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact us so we can investigate and remove it where appropriate.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as CatsNextDoor changes. We will post the revised policy with a new effective date and provide additional notice when required by law or when changes are material.
Contact us
Questions, privacy requests, or concerns can be sent to hello@catsnextdoor.com.