Privacy Policy

The short version

This plain summary is here to help. It is not a replacement for the full policy below.

• We collect the information you give us (your account details, pet reports, photos, the last-seen area of a pet, messages, and payment details) and some basic technical information about your device.
• Pet reports and memorials are public so the community can help. Your email, phone number, and exact home address are never shown in public listings.
• We use your information to run the Service, help reunite pets, keep the community safe, and process payments.
• We do not sell your personal information.
• You can view, update, or delete your account at any time.

1. About this policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Astray Inc. ("Astray," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and shares information when you use the Astray website at astraypet.com and related services (the "Service"). By using the Service, you agree to this policy.

2. Information we collect

Information you give us:

• Account information, such as your name or display name, email address, and password.
• Pet reports, including photos, descriptions, the pet's status (lost or found), and the general last-seen or found location.
• Location information you provide when you place a report on the map.
• Messages you send to other users through the Service.
• Memorials and other content you create.
• Payment information when you buy a paid feature. Payments are handled by Stripe, and Astray does not store your full card number.
• Communications you send to us, such as support requests.

Information we collect automatically:

• Usage and device information, such as your browser type, device type, pages viewed, and the dates and times you use the Service.
• Log and technical data, including your IP address, which we and our providers use to operate, secure, and troubleshoot the Service.
• Cookies and similar technologies needed to sign you in, keep the Service secure, and remember your preferences. See the Cookies section below.

Information from others:

If another user reports or messages about a pet you are connected to, or reports your content, we receive that information as part of running the Service.

3. Location information

Because Astray helps reunite lost pets, location matters. When you post a report, you choose a last-seen or found location. To protect your privacy and safety, public listings show a general area rather than an exact address. Please do not include your precise home address in the public parts of a report.

We use mapping and location tools provided by Mapbox to display reports on a map. Their handling of data is governed by their own privacy terms.

4. How we use your information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate, maintain, and improve the Service.
• Display lost and found reports and memorials to the community so pets can be reunited and remembered.
• Let you message other users and receive notifications, including emails sent through our email provider.
• Process payments for paid features.
• Keep the community safe, review reports, moderate content, and enforce our Terms and Community Guidelines.
• Detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, abuse, security issues, and technical problems.
• Create anonymous, aggregated statistics that do not identify you, such as how often pets are reunited.
• Communicate with you about your account, updates, and, where you allow it, news about Astray.
• Comply with the law and protect the rights and safety of our users, the public, and Astray.

5. What is public and what is private

Lost and found reports, memorials, and the display name you choose are public. Anyone using the Service, and in some cases anyone on the internet, may see and share them.

Your email address, phone number, exact home location, and password are not shown in public listings. Messages between users are private to the people in the conversation, though we may access them when needed to keep the community safe, respond to reports, or comply with the law.

6. How we share information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only in these ways:

• Public content. As described above, reports and memorials are public by design.
• Service providers. We share information with companies that help us run the Service, including Supabase (data hosting and storage), Stripe (payments), Resend (email delivery), Mapbox (maps and location), and Cloudflare (security and abuse prevention). They may only use the information to provide services to us.
• Safety and legal reasons. We may share information to comply with the law or a valid legal request, to enforce our Terms, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users, the public, or Astray.
• Business transfers. If Astray is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, information may be transferred as part of that deal.
• With your consent. We may share information in other ways if you ask us to or agree to it.

7. Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies that are necessary to sign you in, keep your session active, protect the Service from abuse (for example, through Cloudflare Turnstile), and remember basic preferences. Most browsers let you control cookies, but blocking essential cookies may stop parts of the Service from working. If we add analytics or optional cookies in the future, we will update this policy.

8. How we keep your information

We keep your information for as long as your account is active or as long as we need it to provide the Service, meet legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When you delete your account, we delete or de-identify your personal information, except for anything we are required or permitted by law to keep, and for a short period in secure backups.

9. Your choices and rights

• Access and update. You can view and update your account information at any time in your settings.
• Delete. You can delete your account and its associated content from your settings. This is a permanent action.
• Emails. You can opt out of non-essential emails using the unsubscribe link or your settings. We will still send necessary messages about your account and reports.

Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights over your personal information, such as the right to know what we collect, to request a copy, to correct it, to delete it, and to not be discriminated against for exercising these rights. If you are a California resident, you have these rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, and we confirm that we do not sell or share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. To make a request, contact us at hello@astray.pet. We may need to verify your identity before we act on a request.

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" signal or a Global Privacy Control. There is not yet a single industry standard for how these are handled. You can control tracking at any time by refusing or deleting cookies in your browser, and California residents can exercise the choices described above.

10. Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your information, including access controls on our database, encryption of data in transit, and abuse protection on our forms. No online service can be completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please protect your password and let us know at hello@astray.pet if you believe your account has been compromised.

11. Children's privacy

Astray is not intended for anyone under 18, and you must be at least 18 to use it. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us at hello@astray.pet and we will delete it.

12. Links to other services

The Service may link to websites and tools operated by others. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review the privacy policies of any third-party service you use.

13. Where your information is handled

Astray is based in the United States, and we process and store information in the United States. If you use the Service from outside the United States, you understand that your information will be transferred to and handled in the United States.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the date at the top and, where appropriate, give notice through the Service. Your continued use after changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.

15. Contact us

Questions about your privacy or this policy? Reach us at hello@astray.pet, or write to Astray Inc., 2045 W Grand Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60612.