1. Introduction
Mainland Animal Emergency Clinic (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website at mainlandpetemergency.ca. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our clients and website visitors.
This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your rights regarding that information. It applies to information collected through our website, by telephone, by SMS, and through other means of communication with our clinic.
We comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the British Columbia Personal Information Protection Act (BC PIPA), Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), and all other applicable privacy laws.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Information You Provide Directly
We collect personal information you provide when you:
• Submit an appointment request or contact form on our website
• Register as a new client
• Call our clinic
• Send us a text message
• Communicate with us by email or through our website chat
This information may include your name, mailing address, telephone number, email address, and information about your pet.
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information, including:
• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Referring website or search terms used to find us
• Device type and operating system
This information is collected through website analytics and tag management platforms to help us understand how our website is used and to improve its performance.
2.3 Communication Platforms
We use third-party communication and scheduling platforms to manage client communications, appointment reminders, and follow-up messages. These platforms may process your contact information and communication history on our behalf. All third-party service providers are bound by confidentiality and data processing agreements.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
• Respond to your inquiries and appointment requests
• Provide emergency veterinary care information and coordinate your visit
• Send appointment reminders and follow-up communications
• Improve our website and the services we provide
• Conduct internal analytics and quality assurance
• Comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
• Display relevant advertising to users who have previously visited our website
4. SMS and Text Message Communications
We may send SMS text messages to communicate appointment reminders, follow-up care information, and clinic updates.
By providing your mobile telephone number and consenting to SMS communications, you agree to receive text messages from Mainland Animal Emergency Clinic.
• Opt-out: Reply STOP to any text message to unsubscribe. We will process your opt-out request within 10 business days.
• Help: Reply HELP for customer care contact information.
• Frequency: Message frequency varies based on your interactions with our clinic.
• Rates: Message and data rates may apply.
To opt out by any other reasonable method, contact us using the information in Section 16.
5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
5.1 Types of Cookies
We use the following categories of cookies on our website:
Essential Cookies — Always Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off. They include cookies that enable core functionality such as security and accessibility. No personal information is collected by essential cookies.
Statistics Cookies — Opt-In
These cookies allow us to count visits and understand how visitors interact with our website so we can measure and improve its performance. All data collected by statistics cookies is aggregated and does not directly identify any individual.
Marketing Cookies — Opt-In
These cookies are set by our advertising partners to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertising on other websites. They work by identifying your browser across different websites. You may opt out of marketing cookies at any time through our cookie consent preferences.
5.2 Cookie Consent
When you first visit our website, a cookie consent banner will ask for your preferences. You may accept all cookies, decline non-essential cookies, or manage your preferences by category. You can withdraw or update your consent at any time by accessing the cookie preferences link on our website.
Our cookie consent infrastructure is configured and maintained by VSA Vet Media Inc.
5.3 Global Privacy Control (GPC) and Universal Opt-Out Mechanisms
Our website recognizes the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal and Universal Opt-Out Mechanisms (UOOM). If your browser or device transmits a GPC signal, we will treat it as a request to opt out of Statistics and Marketing cookies for that browser or device session.
5.4 Online Advertising and Remarketing
We use online advertising services to display advertisements to users who have previously visited our website. This practice is known as remarketing or retargeting. Our advertising partners may place Marketing cookies on your device to identify your browser across different websites and display relevant advertisements.
You may opt out of personalized advertising at any time:
• Google Ads Settings: google.com/settings/ads
• Network Advertising Initiative: networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp
Opting out of personalized advertising does not mean you will no longer see advertisements. It means the advertisements you see will not be tailored based on your previous visits to our website.
6. Third-Party Services
We work with third-party service providers to operate our website and deliver our services. These providers fall into the following functional categories:
• Process appointment requests and contact form submissions. Form submissions are delivered to our team by email and are not stored in a database by our website.Online form and appointment providers:
• Manage client communications, appointment reminders, and follow-up messages.Communication and scheduling platforms:
• Collect aggregated, anonymized data about how visitors use our website to help us improve performance.Website analytics platforms:
• Store and serve our website files and content.Website hosting providers:
• Deliver targeted and remarketing advertisements to users who have previously visited our website.Advertising platforms:
All third-party service providers are selected for their commitment to data security and privacy, and are bound by contractual obligations to process your personal information only as directed by us and as required by applicable law.
7. AI-Assisted Tools
7.1 No Medical Decisions by AI
No artificial intelligence tool used by Mainland Animal Emergency Clinic makes medical decisions regarding your pet’s care. All clinical decisions are made exclusively by licensed veterinary professionals.
7.2 Call Recording
Telephone calls to and from our clinic may be recorded for quality assurance and training purposes. AI-assisted tools may be used to transcribe and categorize recorded calls. By calling our clinic, you consent to the recording and AI-assisted processing of your call in accordance with applicable law.
7.3 Automated Communications
We use automated systems to send appointment reminders, follow-up messages, and other communications. These automated messages are generated based on your appointment and communication history with our clinic.
7.4 AI Interaction Disclosure
Some of our communications, including responses to online inquiries and review responses, may be drafted with the assistance of AI tools. All AI-assisted communications are reviewed and approved by a member of our team before sending. We disclose the use of AI-assisted tools in compliance with applicable law.
7.5 Your Rights Regarding AI
You may request that a human team member handle your inquiry directly at any time by contacting us using the information in Section 16. We do not use AI to make automated decisions that produce legal effects or significantly affect you without human oversight.
8. Data Protection and Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include SSL/TLS encryption for data transmitted through our website, restricted access controls, and ongoing security monitoring.
No method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your personal information using commercially acceptable means, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
8.1 Data Breach Notification
In the event of a data breach that creates a real risk of significant harm to you, we will notify you and the applicable regulatory authority as required by applicable law.
9. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:
• Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.Right to access:
• Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.Right to correction:
• Request that we delete your personal information, subject to any legal retention obligations.Right to deletion:
• Withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal information where processing is based on consent.Right to withdraw consent:
• Object to certain types of processing of your personal information.Right to object:
• Request that we provide your personal information in a structured, machine-readable format where technically feasible.Right to data portability:
• Request that we stop sharing your personal information with third parties for advertising or cross-context behavioural advertising purposes.Right to opt out of sharing:
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 16. We will respond within the timeframe required by the applicable statute. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information: A “Do Not Sell or Share” link is available in our website footer. You may also submit a request by contacting us directly using the information in Section 16.
10. Sharing of Information
We do not sell your personal information.
We may share your personal information in the following circumstances:
• Third-party vendors who provide services on our behalf as described in Section 6. These providers act as our service providers and are not permitted to use your information for their own independent purposes.Service providers:
• We share information with online advertising platforms for the purpose of remarketing and targeted advertising. This sharing may constitute “sharing” of personal information under applicable consumer privacy laws. You have the right to opt out of this sharing as described in Section 9.Advertising partners:
• We may disclose your personal information where required by law, court order, or regulatory authority, or where necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of our clinic, our clients, or the public.Legal requirements:
• In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change as required by applicable law.Business transfers:
We do not share your personal information with unaffiliated third parties for their own marketing purposes.
11. Children’s Privacy
Our website is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately using the information in Section 16 and we will take steps to delete such information promptly.
12. Links to External Websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including social media platforms. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit before providing any personal information.
Meta/Facebook Disclaimer: Our website uses Meta social plugins and may link to our Facebook and Instagram pages. Meta’s data practices are governed by Meta’s own Privacy Policy and Data Policy, which are entirely separate from this document. We are not responsible for Meta’s data collection, storage, or use practices. You can review Meta’s privacy practices at facebook.com/privacy/policy.
13. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, to comply with our legal obligations, to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreements. The appropriate retention period will vary depending on the type of information and the purpose for which it was collected. When personal information is no longer required, we dispose of it securely.
14. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make changes, we will post the updated policy on our website with a revised effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.
Your continued use of our website after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
15. Website Design and Management
Our website is designed, built, and maintained by VSA Vet Media Inc. (“VSA”), a veterinary-focused digital marketing agency. VSA acts as a service provider to Mainland Animal Emergency Clinic for the purposes of website design, development, hosting configuration, and digital marketing services.
VSA Vet Media Inc. is identified as a service provider under applicable Canadian privacy legislation, including PIPEDA and BC PIPA, and processes personal information collected through this website solely on behalf of Mainland Animal Emergency Clinic and in accordance with our instructions. VSA does not use personal information collected through this website for its own independent purposes, and does not sell or share your personal information with unaffiliated third parties.
16. Contact Information
For privacy-related inquiries, to exercise your privacy rights, or to submit a privacy complaint, please contact us:
Mainland Animal Emergency Clinic
15338 Fraser Highway
Surrey, BC V3R 3P5
Canada
Phone: (604) 588-4000
Email: mainlandanimalemerg@gmail.com
Website: mainlandpetemergency.ca
We are committed to resolving privacy concerns promptly and fairly. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia at oipc.bc.ca.