How we look after your details and your dog’s photos

This policy explains what personal information Paws Portraits collects through this website, why, who else sees it, how long we keep it, and how to ask us to see, correct or delete it. Paws Portraits is Katherine’s studio. When we say “we” or “us”, we mean Katherine and anyone helping her run the studio and this website.

The short version

• We only collect what you send us, and what a website needs to run safely.
• The photos of your dog are used to quote for and paint your portrait. We never sell them or use them for anything else.
• We don’t publish your dog’s portrait, or your story, on this website or social media without asking you first.
• We don’t sell or rent your details, and we don’t send newsletters unless you ask for them.
• You can ask us to delete your details and photos at any time.

What we collect

When you ask for a quote

The commission form asks for:

• your name and email address
• up to six photos of your dog
• your dog’s name, and anything you tell us about them
• the canvas size, number of pets and background you’re interested in
• the occasion and the date you need the painting by, if you give them
• the country the painting would be shipped to

Your photos may contain information you didn’t intend to share, such as people in the background or location details stored inside the photo file. If you’d rather we didn’t see these, crop the photo before sending it.

When you send a message

The contact form asks for your name, email address and your message.

If you commission a portrait

To finish and deliver your painting we’ll also need your postal address and phone number for the courier, and a record of payments. We ask for these by email when you book. We don’t take card or bank details through this website.

Information collected automatically

• Spam protection. When a form is sent, the website uses a scrambled (hashed) version of your internet address to stop the same device sending too many requests. It is kept for one hour and then discarded.
• Visitor statistics. We use statistics tools (WP Statistics, and Google Analytics through Google Site Kit) to see how many people visit and which pages they read. These may record your internet address, browser, device, the pages you view and the site that sent you. Google Analytics uses cookies to do this.
• Security and hosting. Our web host and security tools keep short-term logs of visits, including internet addresses, to protect the site from attacks.
• Fonts. The site loads its fonts from Google Fonts, so your browser sends your internet address to Google when a page loads.

How we use it

• to look at your photos and reply with a quote
• to answer your questions
• to paint, deliver and follow up on your portrait if you commission one
• to keep business and tax records
• to keep the website secure and working, and to understand which pages are useful

We only email you about your enquiry or commission. We won’t add you to a mailing list unless you ask to join one.

Your dog’s photos and portrait

The photos you send are used as reference for your quote and your painting, and for nothing else. Katherine may take photos of the painting while she works on it, to show you its progress.

Paintings shown in the gallery are included with their owners’ permission. We will always ask before showing your portrait, its story or its progress photos on this website or on social media, and you can say no. If you agree and later change your mind, tell us and we’ll take it down.

Memorial portraits are handled with particular care. We don’t publish the circumstances of a pet’s death without your clear agreement.

Who else sees your information

We don’t sell, rent or trade personal information. We share it only with the services the studio needs to run, and only as much as each one needs:

• Our web host, which stores the website, including quote requests and photos.
• Our email provider, which sends the website’s emails and holds our inbox. Quote requests are emailed to the studio with your photos attached.
• Spam and security services (CleanTalk, Security Ninja, and Cloudflare Turnstile if switched on), which may check form submissions and internet addresses for abuse.
• Google, for Google Fonts and Google Analytics.
• Couriers and payment providers, when you commission a portrait, so it can be paid for and delivered.
• Authorities, if the law requires us to.

Some of these providers store information on servers outside your country, including in the United States. We choose established providers that protect the information they hold.

Cookies

Visitors don’t need to accept any cookies to use this site. Google Analytics sets cookies to count visits. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, and Google offers an opt-out browser add-on. WordPress also sets cookies for people who log in to manage the site, which doesn’t apply to visitors.

How long we keep it

• Quote requests and photos that don’t become a commission are deleted within 12 months of our last contact.
• Commission records (your details, photos and our emails) are kept while we work on your portrait and for up to two years afterwards, so we can help with any questions about it. Invoices and payment records are kept for as long as tax law requires.
• Messages sent through the contact form are deleted within 12 months unless they lead to a commission.
• Statistics and security logs are kept for the periods set by those tools, usually no longer than 26 months.

You can ask us to delete your information sooner.

How we protect it

The site uses an encrypted (HTTPS) connection, so the forms and photos you send can’t be read in transit. Quote requests are stored in the site’s private admin area, which only the studio can log in to, and the site is protected by security and spam-filtering software. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your information and will tell you if a breach affects you.

Your choices and rights

You can ask us at any time to:

• tell you what personal information we hold about you and send you a copy
• correct anything that’s wrong
• delete your information and photos
• stop using your information for a particular purpose, such as showing your portrait online

Email us from the address you used with us, or tell us enough to find your request. We’ll reply within 30 days and won’t charge you. If we can’t do what you ask, for example because we have to keep an invoice for tax, we’ll explain why.

If you’re not happy with how we’ve handled your information, please tell us first so we can put it right. You can also complain to the privacy regulator where you live.

Children

This website is meant for adults. Please don’t send us personal information about anyone under 16 without their parent or guardian’s permission, and crop children out of photos where you can.

Changes to this policy

If we change how we handle personal information, we’ll update this page and the date at the top. If a change is significant and we hold your details, we’ll let you know by email.

Contact

Questions or requests about your privacy go to the studio: