Privacy Policy

Pet Grief Companion ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of everyone who visits this website or uses our services. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and the rights you have regarding your information.

This policy is written in plain language. If you have questions about anything here, please email us before using the site or services.

Who We Are

Pet Grief Companion is operated by Dawn, a Certified Pet Death Doula providing virtual grief support services across Canada and the United States. Our primary contact address is hello@petgriefcompanion.com.

This website is hosted and operated from Canada. Our data practices comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), and applicable provincial privacy laws.

Information We Collect

Information you give us directly

• Contact form: Your name, email address, the subject of your enquiry, and your message. If you select a service, that service name is also recorded.
• Newsletter subscription: Your email address, and optionally your first name.
• Booking: Name, email address, and any notes you include when scheduling a session through our booking system.
• Session content: Notes and information shared during virtual sessions are held in confidence as described in the Session Confidentiality section below.

Information collected automatically

• Server logs: Standard web server logs may record your IP address, browser type, referring URL, and pages visited. These are used only for security and debugging purposes and are not used to identify individual visitors.
• Cookies: See the Cookies and Analytics section below.

How We Use Your Information

We use personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected:

• To respond to your contact form submission.
• To send you the newsletter you subscribed to.
• To confirm and manage session bookings.
• To detect and flag potential crisis situations in contact form messages so that appropriate follow-up can be offered.
• To maintain records required for operating a professional service.
• To improve the website based on aggregated, non-identifiable usage data.

We do not use your information for advertising, profiling, or automated decision-making.

Information Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information. We share information only in these limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We use a small number of third-party services to operate the site, including our email delivery provider (Resend, for transactional notifications). These providers access personal data only as necessary to perform their service and are bound by data processing agreements.
• Legal requirement: If required by law, court order, or lawful government authority, we may disclose information as required. We will notify you to the extent permitted by law if this occurs.
• Safety: If we have a genuine, reasonable belief that disclosure is necessary to prevent imminent harm to you or others, we may share relevant information with appropriate authorities.

In all other situations, your personal information stays with us.

Session Confidentiality

Everything shared during a virtual session is held in strict confidence. Session content is not recorded without your explicit prior consent. Notes taken during or after sessions are kept securely and are not shared with any third party, including family members, employers, or veterinary providers, without your explicit written consent.

Testimonials are only ever published with your explicit written permission. You can request that a testimonial be anonymized or removed at any time by emailing hello@petgriefcompanion.com.

Cookies and Analytics

This website uses only essential functional cookies required for the site to operate (for example, session management). We do not currently use third-party advertising cookies or tracking pixels.

If we add analytics tools in the future, this policy will be updated and a cookie notice will be displayed before any non-essential cookies are set.

Email Communications (CASL)

In compliance with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), we only send commercial electronic messages to people who have given express or implied consent.

• Newsletter subscribers have provided express consent at signup.
• Transactional emails (booking confirmations, contact form responses) are sent in response to your direct actions and do not require separate consent.
• You may unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time using the unsubscribe link included in every email, or by emailing hello@petgriefcompanion.com.
• Unsubscribe requests are processed within 10 business days.

Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy:

• Contact form messages: Retained for up to 2 years for follow-up and record-keeping, then deleted.
• Newsletter subscriber data: Retained until you unsubscribe, then deleted within 30 days.
• Booking records: Retained for up to 7 years in accordance with Canadian business record-keeping requirements.
• Session notes: Retained for up to 3 years after the last session, then securely destroyed.

Your Rights

Under PIPEDA and applicable privacy law, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request that inaccurate or incomplete information be corrected.
• Deletion: Request that your personal information be deleted, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Withdrawal of consent: Withdraw consent for uses of your information that are based on consent (such as the newsletter). This will not affect the lawfulness of any processing before withdrawal.
• Complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, email hello@petgriefcompanion.com. We will respond within 30 days.

Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. The site uses HTTPS encryption for all data in transit. Access to systems holding personal data is restricted to authorized personnel.

No internet transmission is 100% secure. If you have concerns about transmitting sensitive information electronically, you are welcome to contact us by phone instead.

Children's Privacy

This website and its services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If you believe a minor has submitted personal information to us, please contact us immediately at hello@petgriefcompanion.com and we will delete it promptly.

Contact Us

For any questions, requests, or concerns related to this privacy policy or your personal information, please contact:

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at www.priv.gc.ca.

This policy was last updated in September 2026. We may update it from time to time. The date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.