Privacy & cookie policy
Last updated: 8 October 2026
Who we are
Who Owns Your Vet? (whoownsyourvet.co.uk) is an independent, community-driven website that helps UK pet owners identify the ownership of veterinary practices. We are the data controller responsible for any personal data processed through this site.
What data we collect
We collect as little data as possible. Specifically:
- Postcode: if you enter one in the search box to find nearby practices. It is sent to Postcodes.io to convert to approximate coordinates. It is not stored by us.
- Approximate location: if you grant your browser permission to share your location with the site. This is used only in your browser to sort search results and is not transmitted to us.
- Analytics data: We measure how the site is used in two ways. Privacy-friendly, cookieless analytics (PostHog, hosted in the EU) run for every visitor: they set no cookies, store nothing on your device, and count visitors using an anonymous hash that can't identify you. Separately, Google Analytics (which does set cookies) only runs if you accept. See the cookies section below.
- AI assistants: When an AI assistant uses our MCP server, we record anonymous usage in PostHog (EU): which tool was used, what it was asked and answered, how long it took, which assistant and model made the request, and the one-line reason the assistant gives for it. Postcodes are cut to their district (BS1 4DJ becomes BS1) and coordinates to about a kilometre before anything is stored, and nothing identifies you or links these requests to your visits to this site.
- Server logs: Our hosting provider (Netlify) records the IP address and user-agent of each request for security and abuse prevention. These logs are retained for a short period and are not used for analytics.
- Submissions: If you submit a practice or correction through our form, we process the details you provide for the purpose of updating the site.
- Newsletter email: If you subscribe to our updates, we collect your email address to send occasional emails about UK veterinary ownership. Sign-ups are handled by Netlify Forms and stored in our Netlify dashboard. We use it only for these updates, you can unsubscribe at any time, and we never sell or share it.
Practice accounts
If you claim a veterinary practice’s listing through our practice portal, we keep:
- Your email address: your account, and where we send sign-in links. Emails are sent by Resend on our behalf.
- Sign-in records: when sign-in links were requested and used, and the requesting IP address, to rate-limit abuse. These records are deleted after a week.
- A session cookie (
practice_session): strictly necessary to keep you signed in, for up to 30 days. It is only set when you sign in. - What you submit: corrections, ownership declarations and the evidence you give, with your account attached, as an audit trail. Your email address is never published.
- Billing, if you buy an enhanced listing: payments are taken by Stripe on its own secure pages (checkout.stripe.com and billing.stripe.com), which set their own cookies. Stripe holds your card and billing details; we never see or store card numbers. We keep your Stripe customer and subscription identifiers, the plan, its status and renewal date, so we know which listings are enhanced.
- Monthly views report, for enhanced listings: the number of views and clicks your page had, from our analytics as aggregate counts (no visitor details). Turn it off in the portal.
We use this to run the portal and keep the directory accurate (legitimate interests, UK GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)), and billing data to provide the enhanced listing you’ve bought (contract, Art. 6(1)(b)). Ask us to delete your account at any time; the public record of changes stays, without your details, and records of payments are kept for as long as UK tax law requires.
Lawful basis
- Consent: for Google Analytics cookies (UK GDPR Art. 6(1)(a) and PECR reg. 6), and for sending the newsletter where you opt in by subscribing (UK GDPR Art. 6(1)(a) and PECR reg. 22). You can withdraw newsletter consent at any time by unsubscribing.
- Legitimate interests: for security logging, operating the search functionality, and our cookieless analytics, which store nothing on your device and process no personal data (UK GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)).
- Contract: for billing data when a practice buys an enhanced listing (UK GDPR Art. 6(1)(b)).
Third parties
- Google (Analytics): receives usage data only with your consent. Google's privacy policy.
- PostHog: provides our cookieless analytics, hosted in the EU. It receives anonymous usage data (no cookies, no personal data) and is served through our own domain. It also receives the anonymous AI assistant usage described above. PostHog's privacy policy.
- Resend: sends our emails: practice-portal sign-in links and account notices, the monthly views report, and notices that a correction you reported was approved. It receives the recipient’s email address and the message. Resend's privacy policy.
- Postcodes.io: receives postcodes you enter, to return coordinates. No personal data is sent.
- Netlify: hosts the site, logs requests for security purposes, and (via Netlify Forms) processes newsletter sign-ups and feedback submissions on our behalf. Netlify's privacy policy.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Have inaccurate data corrected.
- Have your data erased.
- Restrict or object to processing.
- Withdraw consent at any time (without affecting prior lawful processing).
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office.
Since we don't keep accounts or persistent records linked to you, most of these rights are exercised directly by you in your browser (clearing storage, withdrawing consent). For anything else, contact us using the submission form.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.