Last updated: June 1, 2026 · Effective immediately
The short version: We collect only what we need to help reunite pets with their families. We do not sell your data. We do not share it with advertisers. Scout AI does not store your conversations. You are always in control.
LocatePets ("LocatePets," "we," "our," or "us") is a pet recovery platform that connects pet owners, volunteers, shelters, and communities to find missing pets faster. Our platform includes a mobile application, website, and Scout — our AI-powered pet detective assistant.
This Privacy Policy applies to all information collected through our website at locatepets.com, our mobile applications, and any related services we provide (collectively, the "Services").
By using our Services, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of our Services.
We use the information we collect to:
We do not use your information to serve targeted advertisements. We do not sell your data to data brokers, advertisers, or any third parties.
Scout is LocatePets' AI-powered pet detective assistant. She is designed to help you through every step of finding a missing pet — recommending search strategies, helping draft alerts, identifying nearby shelters, and answering questions around the clock.
Scout processes your messages in real time to generate helpful, contextual responses about your pet search. She may access information you have previously entered into LocatePets — such as your pet's profile and active reports — to provide more relevant assistance. This access is limited to your own data and is used solely to help you.
Scout is an AI assistant and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice, legal counsel, or emergency services. In emergencies involving an animal's welfare, please contact your local animal control or emergency veterinary services directly.
During an active Scout session, temporary session data is held in memory to maintain conversational context. This data is discarded when your session ends and is not written to persistent storage.
Location information is central to LocatePets' ability to connect you with nearby pets, volunteers, and shelters. Here is how we handle it:
When you create a lost or found pet report, we request your device's precise GPS location to pin the report to a map and alert nearby community members. You may also enter a location manually if you prefer not to share your GPS coordinates.
Location access for alerts is optional. You may grant approximate location (not precise GPS) and still receive relevant nearby notifications. You can revoke location permissions at any time through your device settings.
We never display your exact home address or precise GPS coordinates publicly. Lost and found pet reports show only a generalized location (e.g., "Near Oakdale Rd, Waterford, CA") to protect your privacy while still helping searchers.
We do not continuously track your location in the background. Location data is only collected when you actively use the app to create a report or search for nearby pets.
Photos you upload of your pets or found animals are stored securely in our cloud storage and used to power our AI matching engine, display in reports, and generate shareable missing pet flyers.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share information only in the following limited circumstances:
Lost and found pet reports are publicly visible by design — this is how the community helps reunite pets. Public reports include your pet's description, photos, generalized location, and your chosen contact method. They do not include your home address, phone number (unless you choose to display it), or account details.
We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the platform. These include cloud hosting, email delivery, push notification services, and payment processing. All service providers are contractually bound to use your data only to provide services to us and are prohibited from using it for their own purposes.
When a potential match is found between your lost pet report and an animal at a partner shelter, limited report details (pet description, contact preference) may be shared with that shelter to facilitate reunion. We share the minimum information necessary.
We may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, court order, or government request, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the safety of any person, prevent fraud, or defend our legal rights.
In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on our website before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our Services.
We take the security of your information seriously and implement industry-standard safeguards including:
No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach that affects your rights and freedoms, we will notify you as required by applicable law.
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:
You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you in a portable, machine-readable format.
You may update or correct inaccurate information through your account settings or by contacting us.
You may request deletion of your account and associated personal data. We will fulfill deletion requests within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.
You may unsubscribe from non-transactional emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email we send. You may disable push notifications through your device settings at any time.
California residents have the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used, the right to request deletion, the right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information), and the right to non-discrimination for exercising these rights.
If you are located in the European Economic Area, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation including the right of access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and the right to object to processing. Our legal basis for processing is your consent, performance of a contract (providing our Services), and legitimate interests (security, fraud prevention).
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the address listed in Section 15.
LocatePets is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to remove that information and terminate any associated account.
Users between the ages of 13 and 18 may use LocatePets only with parental or guardian consent.
Our website uses minimal cookies necessary for the site to function properly. We do not use third-party advertising cookies or cross-site tracking technologies.
We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or similar third-party tracking scripts on our platform. You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences.
Our Services integrate with the following third-party services, each with their own privacy policies:
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before using them.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you by:
Your continued use of our Services after changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. If you disagree with any changes, you may delete your account before the changes take effect.
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:
We will respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.