ACT Rescue & Foster Inc. (ARF) Privacy Policy

ACT Rescue & Foster Inc. (ARF) is committed to treating the personal information we collect in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles in the Information Privacy Act 2014 (Privacy Act).

This Privacy Policy sets out how ACT Rescue & Foster Inc. (ARF) handles personal information. It does not apply to personal information collected by ACT Rescue & Foster Inc. (ARF) that is exempted under the Privacy Act. ACT Rescue & Foster Inc. (ARF) may modify this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect its current privacy practices.

Definitions

In this Privacy Policy,
‘ACT Rescue & Foster Inc. (ARF), ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’ mean the organisation carrying on business under the name ACT Rescue & Foster Inc. (ARF);
‘Personal information’ means any information or opinion about a natural person (whether or not true) which is reasonably identifiable;
‘Sensitive information’ means (without limitation) information about an individual’s race, political opinions, religious beliefs, philosophical beliefs, membership of a trade union, sexual preference, criminal record, or health, genetic or biometric information, including “sensitive information” as defined in the Information Privacy Act 2014.

Personal information we collect

The main types of personal information we collect include names, email address, contact numbers, postal and residential address details, date of birth, transaction details relating to any purchases you make from us. In order to provide our services, we may also collect other personal information such as your company and title, or days you are available to volunteer with us.

Where we collect, use and disclose sensitive information about you, we will only do so where it is reasonably necessary to conduct our business and either:

  • we have obtained your consent; or
  • it is permitted by law.

How we collect personal information

Generally, we collect your personal information from you directly (for example, when we deal with you in person or over the phone, when you send us correspondence, when you complete online application forms or when you subscribe electronically to our publications), although sometimes it may be necessary for us to collect your personal information from a third party. For example, we may collect your personal information when you make a donation or when you make a purchase through us. We may also collect personal information about you from your use of our websites and information you provide to us through contact mailboxes or through the registration process on our website and social media accounts. If you provide us with someone else’s personal information, you should only do so if you have their authority or consent to provide us with their personal information.

Use of personal information

Your personal information may be collected, held and used for the following purposes:

  • Animal adoption and foster care;
  • Veterinary care and services;
  • Education, advocacy and public campaigns;
  • Fundraising, events, donations and memberships;
  • Community engagement and communications;
  • Legacies and bequests;
  • Retail sales and marketing;
  • Providing services that we feel support the interests of animal welfare
  • Public complaint and inquiry response and referral;
  • and ancillary purposes, or as otherwise permitted by law;
  • Report to government or other funding bodies how funding is used,
  • Process your donation or purchase and provide receipts,
  • Communicate with you about how your donation is used or about ACT Rescue & Foster Inc. (ARF)and related animal welfare programs, causes, events, products and services, which we believe may be of interest to you and your pet
  • Respond to your feedback or complaints, and answer your queries.

It may also be used for any other specific purpose for which it was requested and which was advised to you and/or directly related purposes.

If you do not want to receive any communication from us, you can contact us as detailed below or use the unsubscribe function on electronic communications. Where an individual chooses not to provide their personal details, we will advise that individual of what impact this non-disclosure may have. For example, withholding certain information may limit our ability to market relevant offers or services to individuals.

Disclosing Information
We will only disclose personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act.
We will only disclose personal information under the following circumstances:

  • for the purposes for which we have advised that we are collecting it, and for related
  • purposes that the individual would reasonably expect,
  • where we have the consent of the individual to do so,
  • as required by law, or
  • under other circumstances where permitted under the Privacy Act.

Unauthorised Disclosure or Access

We are committed to protecting the privacy of individuals, we will view unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal information by our employees, contractors or agents, as a serious breach of this policy. Appropriate action (which may include disciplinary or legal action) may be taken in such cases.

Security and retention of personal information

We take reasonable steps to protect any personal information that we hold from misuse and loss. We also take reasonable steps to protect it from unauthorised access, modification and disclosure. The security measures we take include physical security measures, and technology security measures (including restriction of access, firewalls, the use of encryption, passwords and digital certificates). The personal information you provide to us will be retained only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which the information was collected, as required by law or in accordance with our documentation retention policies.

Privacy on our websites

Cookies: “Cookies” (i.e. small text files placed on your computer when you first visit the site) are used on some ACT Rescue & Foster Inc. (ARF)’s websites. Most browsers now recognise when a cookie is offered and permit you to refuse or accept it. If you are not sure whether your browser has this capability, you should check with the software manufacturer, your company’s technology help desk or your internet service provider. Cookies are primarily used to enhance your online experience. If you visit our websites to read or download information, such as news stories or articles, much of the information we do collect is statistical only (e.g., the domain from which you access the internet, the date and time you access our site, and the internet address of the website from which you linked directly to our site) and not personally identifiable. We use this information about the number of visitors and their use of the sites in aggregate form to make our sites more useful and attractive to you.
Your choices: You have several choices regarding your use of ACT Rescue & Foster Inc. (ARF)’s websites. In general, you are not required to provide personal information when you visit our websites. However, if you apply to receive information about our services, events and subscriber updates or wish to volunteer, we may require you to provide certain personal information to enable us to fulfil your request.

Links to third-party websites

ACT Rescue & Foster Inc. (ARF) websites may contain links to third party websites, including sites maintained by businesses who provide us with financial support and donations for goods-in-kind. Those other websites are not subject to our privacy policies and procedures. You will need to review those websites directly to view a copy of their privacy policies.

Minors

We understand the importance of protecting children’s privacy, especially in an online environment. In particular, our websites are not intentionally designed for or directed at children under the age of 13. It is our policy to never knowingly collect or maintain information about anyone under the age of 13.

Keeping personal information current

If you believe that any personal information ACT Rescue & Foster Inc. (ARF) has collected about you is inaccurate, incomplete or not up-to-date, please contact us and we will take reasonable steps to correct it in accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act.

Policy updates

This Policy may change from time to time and is available on our website.

Policy enquiries or complaints

If you would like to access your personal information, have a query in relation to this Privacy Policy, would like your personal information deleted or would like to make a complaint about ACT Rescue & Foster Inc. (ARF)’s handling of your personal information, please contact: info@fosterdogs.org and we will get back to you within a reasonable time period. If we determine that it is not lawful or not required by law to provide you with access to the personal information we hold, we will provide you with a written response outlining the reasons for refusing your request. You can obtain information on privacy issues in Australia by visiting the Australian Federal Privacy Commissioner’s website located at www.privacy.gov.au or by telephoning 1300 363 992