Introduction
Abby’s Dog Daycare (“Abby’s,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you visit our website at https://abbysdogdaycare.com (the “Site”), use our customer portal, contact us, sign up for a free evaluation, or use our dog daycare, boarding, and training services (collectively, the “Services”).
This Privacy Policy is designed to comply with applicable federal laws and the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93H and 201 CMR 17.00 (Standards for the Protection of Personal Information of Residents of the Commonwealth), the Massachusetts Right of Privacy statute (M.G.L. c. 214, § 1B), the federal CAN-SPAM Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and the carrier and CTIA guidelines applicable to A2P 10DLC text messaging programs.
By accessing or using the Site or our Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our practices, please do not use the Site or our Services.
Information We Collect
We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us, information collected automatically when you use the Site, and information obtained from third parties
Information You Provide to Us
When you book a free evaluation, register for membership, schedule training, board your dog, or otherwise interact with us, we may collect:
Contact information: name, email address, mailing address, and phone number.
Account credentials: username and password for our customer portal (hosted by Gingr).
Pet information: your dog’s name, breed, age, sex, weight, temperament, behavioral history, dietary requirements,
medications, and veterinary records.
Emergency contact information: names and phone numbers of individuals authorized to pick up your dog or be
contacted in an emergency.
Payment information: credit/debit card details and billing address. Payment card data is processed by our
PCI-compliant third-party payment processor and is not stored on our own servers.
Communications: messages, comments, photos, and other content you submit through forms, email, text message, or
social media.
Image and likeness: photographs and videos of you and your dog taken at our facility or events, where you have
provided consent through our Image Consent form.
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit the Site, we and our service providers may automatically collect:
Device and usage data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device identifiers, referring/exit
pages, pages viewed, and dates/times of visits.
Cookies and similar technologies: small data files placed on your device. We use cookies for site functionality,
analytics, and advertising. See Section 7 for details.
Analytics data: aggregated information about how visitors use the Site, collected through tools such as Google
Analytics.
Marketing pixels: the Site uses the Meta (Facebook) Pixel to measure ad performance and serve relevant advertising.
Information from Third Parties
We may receive information about you from:
Veterinarians, prior daycare or boarding facilities, and trainers (with your authorization).
Social media platforms when you interact with our pages or tag us in posts.
Service providers such as our scheduling/portal vendor (Gingr) and payment processor.
Referral sources, including other customers.
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
To provide, schedule, and manage daycare, boarding, training, and grooming services.
To conduct temperament evaluations and ensure the safety of all dogs in our care.
To process payments, memberships, and refunds.
To create and manage your customer portal account.
To communicate with you about appointments, services, account matters, and emergencies.
To send marketing communications, promotions, newsletters, and event invitations (you may opt out at any time).
To respond to inquiries, requests, and customer service needs.
To improve the Site, our Services, and the customer experience.
To use photos and videos for social media, marketing, and promotional materials, where you have provided written
consent.
To comply with legal obligations, enforce our agreements, and protect our rights, property, and safety, as well as the
rights, property, and safety of our customers, our staff, and the dogs in our care.
To detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, security incidents, and unlawful activity.
Legal Basis for Processing
We process personal information based on one or more of the following grounds: (a) your consent; (b) the
performance of a contract with you (such as your service agreement); (c) compliance with legal obligations; and (d)
our legitimate business interests in operating, securing, and improving our Services, provided those interests are not
overridden by your rights and interests.
How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We share information only as described below:
SMS / Mobile Information — No Sharing with Third Parties. No mobile information, including phone numbers, opt-in
data, or consent records collected for the purpose of SMS or text messaging, will be shared with third parties or
affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Information sharing related to SMS consent is limited to the
subcontractors and service providers (such as our messaging platform provider) that support the messaging program,
and those parties are prohibited from using this information for any other purpose.
Service Providers
We share information with trusted third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, including:
Gingr (customer portal, scheduling, and records management).
Payment processors for credit/debit card transactions.
Website hosting, email delivery, and analytics providers.
Marketing and advertising platforms (e.g., Meta/Facebook, Google).
Cloud storage and IT support providers.
As required by 201 CMR 17.03(2)(f), we take reasonable steps to select and retain third-party service providers
capable of maintaining appropriate security measures, and we require them by contract to implement and maintain
appropriate safeguards for personal information.
Veterinary and Emergency Care
If your dog requires medical attention while in our care, we may share relevant pet and contact information with veterinary professionals and emergency contacts you have designated.
Legal and Safety
We may disclose information when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to: (a) comply with a subpoena, court order, or other legal process; (b) enforce our policies or contracts; (c) protect the rights, property, or
safety of Abby’s, our customers, our staff, or the public; or (d) investigate or prevent suspected fraud or unlawful activity.
Business Transfers
If Abby’s is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, sale of assets, or bankruptcy, your information may be transferred to a successor or affiliate as part of that transaction. We will provide notice on the Site of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.
With Your Consent
We may share information with other third parties when you direct us to do so or otherwise provide consent (for example, sharing your dog’s photo on social media after you sign our Image Consent form).
Data Security
As required by Massachusetts 201 CMR 17.00, we maintain a Written Information Security Program (“WISP”) containing administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information about Massachusetts residents. Our security measures include: Administrative safeguards: designating a security coordinator, conducting periodic risk assessments, training staff on data protection, restricting access to personal information on a need-to-know basis, and disciplinary measures for violations.
Technical safeguards: secure user authentication, access controls, encryption of personal information transmitted across public networks and stored on portable devices, current firewall and malware protection, security patches, and
monitoring for unauthorized access.
Physical safeguards: restrictions on physical access to records containing personal information, secure storage of paper files, and secure disposal of records. Vendor oversight: selecting service providers capable of maintaining appropriate security measures and contractually requiring them to do so.
Despite these safeguards, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we work to protect your information using reasonable measures consistent
with industry standards.
Data Breach Notification
In the event of a security breach involving the unauthorized acquisition or use of unencrypted personal information (or encrypted information together with the confidential process or key), we will notify affected Massachusetts residents
and the Massachusetts Attorney General and Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation as required by M.G.L. c. 93H, § 3. Notice will be provided as soon as practicable and without unreasonable delay.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Site, remember your preferences, analyze traffic, and support advertising. The cookie banner on our Site informs you of our use of cookies.
You can control cookies through your browser settings, including blocking or deleting cookies. Disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of the Site.
Do Not Track: Some browsers transmit “Do Not Track” signals. Because there is no industry standard for responding to these signals, the Site does not currently respond to them.
Interest-based advertising: You may opt out of interest-based advertising delivered by participating networks through the Digital Advertising Alliance at https://optout.aboutads.info or the Network Advertising Initiative at
https://optout.networkadvertising.org.
Marketing Communications
Email: We comply with the federal CAN-SPAM Act. Promotional emails will identify themselves as such, include our physical address, and provide an unsubscribe link. You can opt out at any time by clicking “unsubscribe” or contacting us.
Phone calls: We honor requests to be removed from our marketing call list.
SMS / Text Messaging Program
This section describes how we collect, use, and share information in connection with our SMS (text messaging) program, in compliance with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), CTIA Messaging Principles and Best
Practices, and the requirements of our messaging platform provider and U.S. mobile carriers governing A2P 10DLC traffic.
Program Description
How We Collect Mobile Numbers and Consent
Consent to receive text messages is not a condition of purchase, membership, or service. You may use our daycare, boarding, and training services without consenting to text messages
Message Frequency and Costs
HELP and STOP
You can cancel the SMS service at any time by replying STOP, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE, or QUIT to any message we send. After you send STOP, we will send you a confirmation message and will not send any additional messages, except as required to confirm your opt-out. If you want to rejoin, sign up as you did the first time and we
will start sending messages again.
If you need help, reply HELP to any message or contact us at 978.454.8718 or hello@abbysdogdaycare.com. For HELP responses, we will provide our business name and contact information and instructions on how to opt out.
Carrier Disclaimer
Carriers (including AT&T;, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, U.S. Cellular, and others) are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
No Sharing of Mobile Information
No mobile information, including mobile phone numbers and SMS opt-in data and consent, will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. All other categories of information may be shared as
described in Section 5 of this Privacy Policy, subject to the restrictions in this section. Information sharing to subcontractors that support the SMS program (for example, our messaging platform provider, customer relationship management system, or scheduling software) is permitted only as needed to operate and deliver the messaging service, and those subcontractors are contractually prohibited from using mobile opt-in data for their own purposes.
TCPA Compliance
We comply with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and applicable Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules. We obtain prior express written consent before sending marketing or promotional text messages and prior express consent (which may be oral) before sending non-marketing informational text messages such as appointment reminders. Records of consent are maintained as required by law.
Children's Privacy
Our Services are intended for adults aged 18 and over. The Site is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy
Protection Act (COPPA). If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verified parental consent, we will delete that information promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal
information, please contact us using the information in Section 17.
Your Rights and Choices
Depending on where you reside, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:
Access: request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
Correction: request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Deletion: request that we delete personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions (such as records we must
retain for legal, tax, or safety reasons).
Opt-out of marketing: unsubscribe from marketing emails or text messages at any time.
Withdraw consent: where we rely on consent (such as for use of your dog’s image), you may withdraw consent at any
time.
Account closure: request that we close your customer portal account.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 17. We may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the time required by applicable law.
Massachusetts residents have a right to obtain a police report related to identity theft pursuant to M.G.L. c. 93H, § 3A, and may seek to place a security freeze on their consumer credit report through the major credit reporting agencies.
Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as needed to provide our Services, maintain accurate business and veterinary records, comply with legal obligations (including tax, accounting, and liability requirements), resolve
disputes, and enforce our agreements. When information is no longer needed, we securely dispose of it consistent with M.G.L. c. 93I, which governs the proper destruction of records containing personal information.
Third-Party Websites and Services
The Site may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms, or services (including our customer portal hosted by Gingr) that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.
Visitors from Outside Massachusetts
Abby’s is located in Massachusetts, and our Services are intended for residents of Massachusetts and surrounding areas. If you access the Site from outside Massachusetts or the United States, your information will be transferred to,
stored, and processed in the United States. By using the Site, you consent to this transfer.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last Updated” date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be communicated by posting a notice on the Site or by other reasonable means. Your
continued use of the Site or our Services after the effective date constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.
Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:
Abby’s Dog Daycare
28 Gorham Street
Chelmsford, MA 01824
Phone: 978.454.8718
Email: hello@abbysdogdaycare.com
For privacy-related complaints, Massachusetts residents may also contact the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General, Consumer Advocacy and Response Division, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108, or the Office of
Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation at (617) 973-8787.
DISCLAIMER: This Privacy Policy template was prepared as a general starting point and is intended to address common federal and Massachusetts privacy law requirements applicable to a small business operating a dog daycare
in Massachusetts. It is not legal advice. Privacy laws change frequently, and your specific business practices, vendors, and data flows may trigger additional obligations. You should review this document with a qualified
Massachusetts attorney before publishing it to ensure it accurately reflects your practices and complies with all laws applicable to your business.