Privacy Policy
Last updated: September 2026
At Dede’s Pet Services, I take your privacy seriously. I only collect and use personal information that I genuinely need to respond to enquiries, provide my services, communicate with you and run my business.
This Privacy Policy explains what information I collect, why I collect it, how I use it, how I keep it safe and what rights you have regarding your personal information.
1. Who I am
Dede’s Pet Services is a local pet-care business based in Bedford, Bedfordshire.
For the purposes of UK data protection law, Dede’s Pet Services is the data controller responsible for the personal information I collect and use.
If you have any questions about how your information is handled, you can contact me at:
Dede’s Pet Services
Bedford, Bedfordshire
Email: dede@dedespetservices.com
Telephone: 07404 524806
2. What personal information do I collect?
Depending on how you contact me and whether you become a customer, I may collect some or all of the following information:
Your name
Your email address
Your telephone number
Your home or service address
Details of your pets
Information about your pet's routines, behaviour, requirements and care needs
Information about your booking or requested services
Information you provide when completing a consultation or booking form
Payment and transaction information where necessary for accounting and business records
Information contained in messages, emails or other communications you send to me
Any other information you choose to provide when contacting me
I may also collect limited technical information when you visit this website, such as information collected through cookies or similar technologies. Please see the Cookies section below.
3. How do I collect your information?
I may collect information:
When you complete the Contact Me form on my website
When you contact me by email, telephone, text message or social media
During an initial consultation
When you make a booking
When you complete a customer or pet-care form
When you communicate with me about an existing booking or service
When you visit my website, through cookies and similar technologies where applicable
Where possible, I collect personal information directly from you.
If someone provides me with information about you, for example when making an enquiry or booking on your behalf, I will only use that information where there is a legitimate reason to do so.
4. Why do I use your information?
I use your personal information for the following purposes:
To respond to enquiries
If you contact me through my website, email, telephone or social media, I use the information you provide to respond to your enquiry and answer your questions.
To arrange and provide pet-care services
If you become a customer, I use your information to arrange and provide the services you have requested, including dog walking, pet care visits, house and pet sitting, dog waste garden clearance and other services offered by Dede’s Pet Services.
This may include information about your pet's routine, behaviour, feeding requirements, access to your property and any other information necessary to provide safe and appropriate care.
To communicate with you
I may use your contact details to communicate with you about bookings, appointments, cancellations, changes to arrangements, payments or anything else relating to the services you have requested.
To keep appropriate business records
I may need to keep certain information for accounting, tax, insurance, legal and business-record purposes.
To protect my business and customers
I may use information where necessary to prevent or address fraud, disputes, misuse of my services or other matters affecting the safety and security of my business, customers, their pets or their property.
5. What is my lawful basis for using your information?
UK data protection law requires me to have a lawful basis for processing personal information.
Depending on the circumstances, I may rely on the following lawful bases:
Contract
I may need to use your information because it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, or because I need it to provide services you have booked.
For example, I need your name, contact details, address and relevant pet-care information to arrange and provide a dog-walking or pet-sitting service.
Legitimate interests
I may use your information where it is reasonably necessary for my legitimate business interests, provided that your rights and interests do not override those interests.
This may include responding to enquiries, managing customer relationships, maintaining business records and protecting my business.
Legal obligation
I may need to keep or use certain information because I am legally required to do so, for example for tax or accounting purposes.
Consent
Where consent is required, I will ask for your consent before using your information for that particular purpose.
Where I rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.
6. Information about your pets
Some information about your pet may be considered personal information if it is connected to you.
For example, I may record information about your dog's behaviour, medical needs, medication, allergies, feeding requirements or other care requirements where you provide this information because it is necessary for me to care for your pet safely.
I will only collect information that is relevant and necessary for providing appropriate care.
Please let me know if any information you have previously provided changes so that I can keep your records accurate.
7. Who do I share your information with?
I do not sell or rent your personal information.
I may share information with trusted third parties where this is necessary to operate my business or where I am legally required to do so.
Depending on the services I use, this may include:
Squarespace, which hosts this website and may process information submitted through website forms
Payment providers, where applicable
Banking or accounting providers where necessary for payment and financial records
Professional advisers, such as an accountant, where necessary
Insurance providers where necessary in connection with an insurance matter
Government bodies, regulators, law enforcement or other authorities where I am legally required to provide information
I will only share information where there is a legitimate reason for doing so.
8. Squarespace and this website
This website is hosted using Squarespace.
When you use this website, Squarespace may process certain information on my behalf, including information submitted through website forms and certain technical information associated with your visit.
Squarespace also uses cookies and similar technologies to operate websites and, depending on the settings and features enabled on this website, may use analytics or other non-essential cookies.
You can find more information about how Squarespace handles personal information in its own privacy documentation.
9. Cookies
This website may use cookies and similar technologies.
Cookies are small files stored on your device that can help a website function properly, remember preferences and, where enabled, provide information about how visitors use the website.
Some cookies are necessary for the website to function. Other cookies, such as certain analytics or marketing cookies, may not be necessary for the website to operate.
Where required by law, I will ask for your consent before using non-essential cookies.
You can manage your cookie preferences through the cookie controls provided on this website and through your browser settings.
The exact cookies used by this website may change as I add, remove or change website features.
10. How do I keep your information safe?
I take reasonable steps to protect personal information against accidental loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure.
I limit access to personal information to people and services that genuinely need it for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.
However, no method of storing or transmitting information over the internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
11. How long do I keep your information?
I will not keep your personal information for longer than is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless I have a legal or legitimate reason to keep it for longer.
Different information may need to be retained for different periods.
For example:
Enquiry information may be retained for a reasonable period after an enquiry has ended.
Customer and booking information may be retained for as long as necessary to manage the customer relationship and deal with any potential disputes or claims.
Financial and accounting records will be retained for the period required by applicable tax and accounting requirements.
Information relating to insurance matters may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary in accordance with my insurance and legal requirements.
When information is no longer required, I will securely delete it or dispose of it appropriately.
12. Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, you have rights under UK data protection law, including the right to:
Ask for a copy of the personal information I hold about you
Ask me to correct inaccurate or incomplete information
Ask me to delete your personal information in certain circumstances
Ask me to restrict how I use your information in certain circumstances
Object to certain uses of your information
Ask for your information to be provided to you or another organisation in a suitable format where the right to data portability applies
Withdraw consent where I am relying on your consent to process your information
These rights are not absolute and there may be circumstances where I am legally entitled or required to retain or continue using certain information.
13. How can you exercise your rights?
If you would like to exercise any of your data protection rights, or simply want to ask a question about the information I hold about you, please contact me:
Email: dede@dedespetservices.com
Please provide enough information for me to identify you and understand your request.
I will deal with your request in accordance with applicable data protection law.
14. Marketing
I will not use your personal information to send you marketing communications unless I have a lawful basis to do so.
If I ask you to provide consent to receive marketing communications, you can withdraw your consent at any time.
You can also contact me if you no longer wish to receive marketing communications.
15. Children's information
My services are aimed at adults and I do not knowingly collect personal information from children through this website.
If you believe that a child has provided personal information to me without appropriate consent, please contact me so that I can look into the matter.
16. Automated decision-making and profiling
I do not use your personal information to make significant decisions about you based solely on automated processing, and I do not carry out profiling that has legal or similarly significant effects on you.
17. International transfers
Some of the technology and service providers I use may process or store information outside the UK.
Where personal information is transferred outside the UK, I will take appropriate steps to ensure that the transfer is carried out in accordance with applicable data protection law.
This may include relying on an adequacy decision or appropriate contractual or other legal safeguards where required.
18. Changes to this Privacy Policy
I may occasionally update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to my business, website, services or data protection requirements.
The latest version will always be available on this website.
Last updated: September 2026
19. Complaints
If you have concerns about the way I have handled your personal information, I would encourage you to contact me first so that I have the opportunity to resolve your concerns.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which is the UK's independent supervisory authority for data protection.
You can contact the ICO through its website:
https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
or by telephone on 0303 123 1113.
20. Contact Me
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how I handle your personal information, please contact:
Dede’s Pet Services
Bedford, Bedfordshire
Email: dede@dedespetservices.com
Telephone: 07404 524806