Privacy Policy

General and Donor Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy (this “Policy”) explains how PetSmart Charities®, Inc. ("PetSmart Charities", "we," or "us") collects, uses, shares, and protects information about you. By interacting with us, you consent to our use of information that is collected or submitted as we describe in this Policy. We may change or add to this Policy, so we urge you to review it periodically. This Policy applies only to residents of the United States. If you are a resident of Canada, please click here for applicable information.

What Information is Collected

We collect information you provide directly to us. Types of personal information we collect may include:

Your name
Your mailing address
Your email address
Your phone (or mobile) number
Your credit/debit card number or other payment information
Your donation information
Your age
Your location
Your pet's information (name, breed, date of birth, gender, photographs, etc.)
Your employment application and resume, if you apply for a job with us; and
Other information you choose to provide to us.

If you choose not to provide personal information, we may not be able to provide you with requested services or information.

Automated Information Collection

We may connect information collected automatically with information we may already have about you. If we are able to identify you as a PetSmart Charities supporter, we may, for example, link your activity on our website to your activity in one of our Adoptions Centers. This allows us to provide you with a personalized experience regardless of how you interact with us.

In addition, we and our Service Providers (defined below) use different technologies to collect information, including cookies, web beacons, and other tracking mechanisms to receive and store certain types of information whenever you interact with us through your computer or mobile device. This information, which includes the pages you visit on our site, which web address you came from, the type of device you are using, donation information, search terms, and geographic location, helps us recognize you, customize your website experience, and make our outreach efforts more relevant. We also use Flash cookies for fraud prevention and other purposes.

In order to provide the best online experience possible, we also use these technologies for reporting and analysis purposes, such as how you are using our website, performance of our outreach efforts, and your response to those outreach efforts.

Third-Party Automated Information Collection

In certain instances, we allow third-party companies to collect certain information when you visit our website and to use that information to serve ads for us or for other companies when you visit our website or other websites or apps. These companies use non-personally identifiable information during your visits to this and other websites in order to customize your shopping experience and to provide advertisements about products and services likely to be of greater interest to you. These parties typically use a cookie, third-party web beacons, or similar technologies to collect this information. Some browsers have a 'do not track' feature that lets you tell websites that you do not want to have your online activities tracked. Neither we nor our third-party providers have a systematic method for ensuring that browser 'Do Not Track' requests are consistently honored. However, you may learn more about online advertising and opt out of the use of your web browsing activity to serve targeted ads by companies that participate in the Digital Advertising Alliance by visiting http://www.aboutads.info/choices.

User Experience Information

In order to improve your online experience, help with fraud identification, and to assist our representatives in resolving issues you may experience in completing online donations or other online activities on our site, we use tools to monitor certain user experience information; including login information, IP address, data regarding pages visited, specific actions taken on pages visited (e.g., information entered during donation process), and browser information.

Social Media Widgets

PetsmartCharities.org includes social media features, such as the Facebook interactive buttons, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter widgets. These features may collect information about your IP address and which page you're visiting on our site, and they may set a cookie to make sure the feature functions properly. Social media features and widgets are either hosted by a third party or hosted directly on our site. Your interactions with those features are governed by the privacy policies of the companies that provide them.

Information from Other Sources

We may collect data that's publicly available. For example, information you submit in a public forum (e.g., a blog, chat room, or social media) can be read, collected, or used by us and others, and could be used to personalize your experience. You are responsible for the information you choose to submit in these instances.

We also may obtain information provided by third parties. For instance, we may obtain information from organizations that can enhance our existing supporter information to improve the accuracy and add to the information we have about our supporters (for example, adding address information). This improves our ability to contact you and increases the relevance of our outreach efforts by providing better information that may interest you.

Facility Cameras

PetSmart Charities' Adoption Centers sometimes occupy space within PetSmart stores. In-store cameras are used for security and operational purposes such as measuring and observing customer traffic patterns. You may access the PetSmart LLC Privacy Policy by clicking here.

Geo-Location Tracking

Certain mobile devices contain geo-location tracking capability. We may use such capability or other geo-location tracking technology for outreach and analytical purposes.

How Your Information is Used

Examples of how we may use the information we collect include (but are not limited to):

Donations and Services Fulfillment
Process donations or requests for information about our services on our website, or to otherwise serve you
Connect within PetSmart Charities regarding our mission via personnel contact, email, or on social media platforms
Administer sweepstakes and contests
Connect you with third parties that perform certain services in connection with PetSmart Charities (such as animal rescue or spay/neuter organizations)
Our Outreach Purposes
Deliver newsletters, emails, and social media notifications
Provide interactive features of the website such as outreach communications and other information regarding our services and activities.
Administer outreach surveys and focus groups
Internal Operations
Improve the effectiveness of our website, mobile experience, and outreach efforts
Conduct research and analysis
Determine your qualifications for a position at PetSmart Charities, when you apply for a position with us
Perform other activities as needed, or as described elsewhere in this Policy
Photographs and Information about Your Pet
Photographs of your pet may be taken and used for our internal recordkeeping purposes, to share with you or your designated family members/agents via email, or to facilitate our outreach efforts (for example, in social media)
We may maintain information about your pet for our internal recordkeeping purposes or to facilitate our outreach efforts
Your pet's name may also be uploaded to our database and associated with your name
Fraud Prevention
Prevent fraudulent activity
Monitor against theft
Protect our visitors, supporters, charitable operations, and assets
Legal Compliance
Investigate claims, incidents or inquiries regarding supporters, associates, vendors, pets, and pet adopters
When applicable for regulatory purposes (such as annual IRS filings on Form 990)
Assist law enforcement, animal control, health officials, and other government entities to respond to legal, regulatory, health, and similar inquiries

How Your Information is Shared

PetSmart Charities and Associated Organizations

We share the information we collect within PetSmart Charities. We also share information with organizations that are closely associated with PetSmart Charities, such as PetSmart LLC and its affiliates, including without limitation PETM Canada Corporation.

Service Providers

We may share the information we collect with organizations that provide internal operations and administrative support services to us (such as printers, email marketers, mobile marketers, analytics providers, web hosting providers, call center service providers, sweepstakes vendors, payment processors, or data enhancement providers) ("Service Providers") or help us with our outreach efforts. These organizations may need information about you in order to perform their functions. If we share your personal information with these organizations, it is on a confidential basis and the Service Providers are not authorized to use the personal information we share with them for any purpose other than providing services for PetSmart Charities.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose information we collect when we believe disclosure is appropriate to comply with the law; to enforce or apply applicable terms and conditions and other agreements; or to protect the rights, property or safety of our organization, our supporters, pets in the care of organizations that we work with, the public or others. We also share your information when applicable for regulatory purposes (such as annual IRS filings on Form 990).

Elsewhere at Your Direction

At your direction or request, we may share your information.

Sharing with Other Organizations (for their outreach purposes)

We may communicate to you information from other organizations. In such cases, we do not provide your personal information to them and they will not know your identity unless you choose to transact with them, in which case their privacy policies will govern your relationship. With your consent, we may share your personal information with other organizations that are not part of PetSmart Charities. These organizations may use the information we share to provide special opportunities to you.

Sharing Aggregate Information with Third Parties

We may share aggregate non-personally identifiable information (information that does not directly identify an individual) with third parties for any lawful purpose.

Asset Transfers

If some or all of our assets are sold or transferred, we may transfer the corresponding information regarding our supporters. We also may retain a copy of that supporter information.

What Choices You Have

Opt Out Choices

You may "opt out" of certain PetSmart Charities outreach communications. Most of our communications are sent by email or direct mail, though you may also opt out of other types of communications. You may also access or change your personal information or ask us to do so.

If you "opt out" of PetSmart Charities' communications, you may continue to receive communications from PetSmart Charities and its Service Providers such as donation confirmations, communications directly related to a pet adopted through our Adoption Centers, and other specific administrative information related to your relationship with PetSmart Charities. Your information will remain in our database marked as inactive so that you no longer receive outreach materials from us.

To opt out yourself:

Follow opt out "unsubscribe" instructions in outreach emails we send to you.
Log on to PetSmartCharities.org to access and change your profile information and preferences if you have an online account with us.
Change your browser settings to not receive cookies. Please note this may make it difficult or impossible to take certain actions on PetSmartCharities.org.

If you need our help:

Call us at 1-800-423-7387 (U.S. residents) and tell us what information you would like to access or which types of contacts you want to opt out of receiving. Please note you may need to speak with a manager.

Email us at info@petsmartcharities.org and tell us what information you would like to access or which types of contacts you would like to opt out of receiving.

Mail: PetSmart Charities, Inc.
Attn: Privacy Officer
19601 N. 27th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85027

When mailing or emailing us, please include your full name, address, phone number, and email address. Also tell us what information you would like to access, change, or add to our "opt-out" list. This will help us process your request.

More Details on How to Opt Out

Direct Mail

If you do not wish to receive outreach mail directly from us, you may opt out by logging on to PetSmartCharities.org to access and change your profile information and preferences if you have an online account with us, or by calling 1-800-423-7387 (U.S. residents).

Telephone

If you do not wish to receive outreach telephone calls from us, you may opt out by logging on to PetSmartCharities.org to access and change your profile information and preferences if you have an online account with us, or by calling 1-800-423-7387 (U.S. residents). This opt-out does not apply to operational phone calls including, for example, confirmation of pet location.

Email

If you do not wish to receive outreach emails from us, you may opt out by logging on to PetSmartCharities.org to access and change your profile information and preferences if you have an online account with us, or by calling 1-800-423-7387 (U.S. residents). You may still receive select emails from us if you have requested or otherwise accepted them through one of our Service Providers, but you may discontinue these emails by canceling your subscription to those services.

You also can opt out of outreach emails via the "unsubscribe" link in outreach emails or by updating your profile via the "Update Profile" link at the bottom of outreach emails.

Sharing with Other Organizations (for their outreach purposes)

If you do not wish us to share the personal information we have collected with other unaffiliated organizations for their outreach purposes, you may opt out by logging on to PetSmartCharities.org to access and change your profile information and preferences if you have an online account with us, or by calling 1-800-423- 7387 (U.S. residents).

Online - PetSmartCharities.org Cookies

You may set your browser to accept all cookies, to notify you when a cookie is issued, or to not receive cookies at any time. If you set your browser to not receive cookies at any time, certain personalized services may not be provided to you, and accordingly, you may not be able to take full advantage of all of the PetSmartCharities.org features (i.e., you will be able to browse the site, but may not be able to use certain functions).

Online - Third-Party Cookies

Certain organizations provide services that analyze information regarding visits to PetSmartCharities.org. They use technology such as cookies and web beacons to collect this information. You may set your browser to accept all cookies, to notify you when a cookie is issued, or to not receive cookies at any time. If you set your browser to not receive cookies at any time, certain personalized services may not be provided to you.

California Residents

California law permits residents of California to request certain details about how their information is shared with third parties for direct marketing purposes. If you are a California resident and would like to make such a request, please use the Contact Us information below.

How to Access and Update Your Personal Information

In order to keep your personal information accurate and complete, you may access or update some of it in the following ways:

If you have created a PetSmartCharities.org account, you may log in and update your personal information. You may also call 1-800-423-7387 and ask for the information you are trying to access or change. Please note that you may need to ask for a manager.

How Your Personal Information is Protected

Security Methods

We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information. When we collect or transmit sensitive information such as a credit or debit card number, we use encryption, access controls, physical security, and other industry standard methods to protect that information. However, no e-commerce solution, website, database, or system is completely secure or "hacker proof." You are also responsible for taking reasonable steps to protect your personal information against unauthorized disclosure or misuse.

Email Security

"Phishing" is a scam designed to steal your personal information. If you receive an email that looks like it is from us asking you for your personal information, do not respond. We will never request your password, username, credit card information, or other personal information through email.

Children's Personal Information

PetSmart Charities recognizes the particular importance of protecting privacy where children are involved. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information online from children under the age of 16.

Questions or Concerns

If you have general questions or concerns about how we use your personal information, please contact us at:

Email: info@petsmartcharities.org

Mail:
PetSmart Charities, Inc.
Attn: Privacy Officer
19601 North 27th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85027

Phone: Toll-free at 1-800-423-7387 (U.S. Supporters) or toll at 1-321-309-9065 (Supporters Outside of the U.S.). You may need to ask for a manager.

PetSmart Charities Privacy Policy Scope

This Policy applies to all current or former visitor and supporter personal information that we collect. Our website may offer links to other sites. If you visit one of these sites, you may want to review the privacy policy on that site. In addition, you may have visited our website through a link or a banner advertisement on another site. In such cases, the site you linked from may collect information from people who click on the banner or link. You may want to refer to the privacy policies on those sites to see how they collect and use this information.

Updates to this Privacy Policy

If we intend to use or disclose your personal information in any way materially different than as described in this Policy, we will make reasonable efforts to revise this Policy. If we make any changes to this Policy, we will change the "Revised" date below to reflect the date the changes take effect.

Revised: July 1, 2022