Privacy Policy

Effective Date: January 2025

1. Introduction

Next Animal (ABN 72 746 422 179), trading as Next Animal Petals ('we', 'us', 'our') is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, process, store, share, and disclose your personal information in connection with our services—including in-home palliative care, end-of-life consultations, and associated aftercare services—as well as via our website, online booking platform (Digitail), and related online interactions.

This Privacy Policy is designed to comply with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). By accessing our website or using our Services, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Definitions

Personal Information

Information or an opinion about an identified or identifiable individual.

Sensitive Information

Information that requires special protection, including health information relating to your pet (not personal health information relating to you).

Services

In-home palliative care consultations, end-of-life care services, telehealth consultations, and associated aftercare support provided by Next Animal Petals.

3. Personal Information We Collect

We collect the following types of personal information:

Personal Details

Full name, email address, mobile and landline telephone numbers, residential address (including access instructions for home visits).

Pet Information

Pet's name, species, breed, sex, age, weight, medical history, behavioural details, and temperament.

Service and Appointment Information

Type of service requested (e.g. palliative care consultation, end-of-life care), appointment date/time, and location.

Payment Information

Credit/debit card details (processed securely via our payment provider) or bank account details for invoicing.

Existing Veterinary Information

Details of your pet's regular veterinary clinic and veterinarian (to facilitate coordination of care).

Technical and Usage Data

Device type, IP address, browser type, pages visited, and booking interaction data from our website and Digitail platform.

4. Sensitive Information: Cached Data and Quality of Life Calculator

Important: Our Quality of Life Calculator and other online tools may store data in your browser cache or on your personal device. This cached data may include sensitive pet health information. If you share your computer or device with others, cached data could be visible to them through browser history or autofill features.

We recommend clearing your browser cache and cookies after using our tools on shared devices, using private or incognito browsing when accessing our services on shared computers, and not saving passwords for our booking platform on shared devices.

5. How We Collect Personal Information

We collect personal information when you contact us via telephone, email, or our website; register on our Digitail booking platform or website; request a quote or book an appointment; or interact with our website, services, or online content.

6. Purpose of Data Collection

We collect and use your personal information to: enable you to access and use our website, booking platform, and Services; schedule, manage, and deliver your requested Services; process payments and handle invoicing; respond to your enquiries and provide customer support; send service updates, appointment reminders, and confirmations; improve our website, Services, and user experience; and comply with legal obligations and resolve disputes.

7. Disclosure of Personal Information to Third Parties

We may disclose personal information to: Payment processors (e.g. Stripe) to process your payments; Booking and scheduling platforms (e.g. Digitail) to manage appointments; Email and communication service providers to send you service-related messages; Your pet's regular veterinary clinic (with your consent) to coordinate care; and Courts, tribunals, and regulatory authorities if required by law or in response to a legal process.

8. Overseas Disclosure

Some of our third-party service providers (payment processors, email platforms, cloud storage) may store or process your personal information in jurisdictions outside Australia, including the United States. We ensure that these transfers comply with Australian Privacy Principles and that appropriate security measures are in place.

9. Data Security

We are committed to protecting your personal information. We implement suitable physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard your data against misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access. However, no security system is entirely impervious, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted over the internet.

10. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected. Service records and client information are typically retained for 7 years to comply with business and legal obligations. Technical and usage data are retained for analytical purposes for no longer than 2 years.

11. Your Rights and Controlling Your Personal Information

Access and Correction

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and to request correction of any inaccuracies. Please contact us using the details below.

Withdrawal of Consent

Where our processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before your withdrawal.

Direct Marketing

If you have consented to receive marketing communications, you may unsubscribe at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions in any message or by contacting us directly.

12. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies on our website to enhance your experience, remember your preferences, and collect usage analytics. You can manage cookie settings through your browser, though disabling cookies may affect website functionality.

13. Links to Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to external websites. We do not control the privacy practices of these third-party sites and are not responsible for their content or privacy policies.

14. Complaints

If you believe we have breached your privacy rights, please contact us with full details of your complaint. We will investigate promptly and respond in writing. If you remain dissatisfied, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

Phone: 1300 363 992
Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
Website: www.oaic.gov.au

15. Amendments

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated by updating the Effective Date above and, where appropriate, by notifying you directly.

16. Contact Us

For questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your privacy rights:

Email: info@nextanimal.com.au
Phone: 0418 839 839

Last Updated: January 2025