Legal
Privacy Policy
We built Littermates on the belief that privacy matters. Here's exactly how we handle your data — in plain language, not legalese.
Effective Date: March 20, 2026 • Littermates Connect, LLC • California, USA
1. What We Collect
When you use Littermates, we collect information that helps us run the platform and connect pet families. Here's what that includes:
- Account info: Username, email address, and password (stored securely, never in plain text).
- Pet profiles: Names, breeds, photos, and details you add about your animals.
- Litter groups: Information about litters you create or join, including Litter IDs and the connections you form.
- Content you post: Photos, comments, and other posts you share within litter groups or on breeder profiles.
- Usage data: Pages visited, features used, and how you interact with the platform (collected via analytics tools).
- Device & technical data: IP address, browser type, operating system, and referring URLs.
- Communications: Messages you send to us (e.g., support emails).
We do not collect sensitive financial data directly. Payments are processed by Stripe, which has its own privacy policy.
2. How We Use Your Data
Your data is used to operate and improve Littermates. Specifically:
- Create and manage your account and pet profiles.
- Connect you with littermate families through litter groups.
- Send important account notifications (password resets, security alerts).
- Deliver updates, community news, and product announcements (you can unsubscribe at any time).
- Analyze usage patterns to improve the platform.
- Display marketing content and sponsored posts within the app (see Section 4).
- Use uploaded images for marketing purposes (see Section 6).
- Comply with legal obligations and protect against fraud or abuse.
We do not sell your personal information for third-party advertising targeting outside the platform. See Section 10 for your CCPA rights.
3. Data Sharing & Partners
Littermates is not a data broker. We don't sell your data to advertisers. However, we do share certain information with trusted parties to operate and grow the platform:
- Development partners: Engineers and contractors who help build and maintain Littermates may access data necessary to do their work. They are bound by confidentiality obligations and may only use data for the purpose of supporting Littermates.
- Marketing partners: We work with marketing agencies, content creators, and advertising platforms (such as Meta, Google) to promote Littermates. These partners may receive aggregated or anonymized usage data, and in some cases, contact information to facilitate marketing campaigns. We may also share images uploaded to the platform with marketing partners for promotional use (see Section 6).
- Analytics providers: We use tools like Google Analytics to understand how people use the platform. These services collect and process usage data under their own privacy policies.
- Payment processors: Stripe processes all payment transactions. We share only what's necessary (e.g., email for receipts).
- Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of our users or the platform.
- Business transfers: If Littermates is acquired or merges with another company, your data may be transferred as part of that transaction.
The short version: Your data goes to the people who help us build and market Littermates, analytics tools, and payment processors. It does not get sold to data brokers or random third parties.
4. Marketing in the App
Littermates is a community platform, and like most platforms, we may display marketing content within the experience. By using Littermates, you acknowledge and agree that:
- Sponsored posts and promotions may appear within breeder profiles, litter group feeds, and other parts of the platform. These are clearly labeled as "Sponsored" or "Promoted" where required.
- Advertisements from Littermates or select partners may be shown to both breeders and pet owners within the social feed experience.
- Promotional content — including product recommendations, partner offers, and brand collaborations relevant to pet owners and breeders — may appear alongside organic posts.
We strive to make any marketing content relevant to our community (pet-related, breed-focused, or family-friendly). We do not display ads for competitors or content that conflicts with our mission.
If you have feedback about marketing content you've seen in the app, email us at littermatesconnect@gmail.com.
5. Cookies & Tracking
We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember preferences, and understand how the platform is used.
- Session cookies: Keep you logged in between visits.
- Analytics cookies: Google Analytics uses cookies to track page views, session duration, and user flows. This data is aggregated and anonymized.
- Preference cookies: Remember your settings and customizations.
Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies through your settings. Blocking certain cookies may affect your ability to stay signed in or use some features.
We do not use cross-site tracking cookies or participate in behavioral advertising networks.
6. Image Usage Rights ⚠️
📸
Read this section carefully.
By uploading any image to Littermates, you grant us a license to use that image for marketing. This is how we promote the platform and showcase the incredible pet families in our community.
What this means: When you upload a photo — a photo of your puppy, your litter, your breeding facility, or anything else — you grant Littermates Connect, LLC a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, distribute, and display that image for marketing and promotional purposes. This includes:
- Promotional materials (flyers, brochures, press kits)
- Digital and print advertisements
- Social media posts (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc.)
- Website content, blog posts, and landing pages
- Email marketing campaigns
- App store screenshots and preview materials
- Press and media coverage about Littermates
What this doesn't mean:
- You retain full ownership of your images. We're licensing them, not buying them.
- We will not sell your images to third parties for their unrelated commercial use.
- We will not use images in a way that is defamatory, misleading, or harmful.
- We will never use images of pets in contexts that misrepresent their origin or wellbeing.
If you don't want your images used in marketing, please don't upload them to the platform — or contact us at
littermatesconnect@gmail.com to request removal of specific images from any marketing materials we've already published.
Attribution: We'll try to credit the pet's name or breeder when using images in marketing when feasible, though this is not guaranteed.
7. Third-Party Services
Littermates integrates with third-party services that have their own privacy policies:
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. Please review their policies if you have concerns.
8. Children's Privacy
Littermates is not directed to children under 13 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at littermatesconnect@gmail.com. We will promptly delete any such information.
Users between 13–18 should use the platform with parental or guardian supervision.
9. Data Retention
We keep your data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service. Here's our general approach:
- Account data: Retained while your account is active. Deleted within 30 days of a verified deletion request.
- Content (posts, photos): Retained while your account is active. You can delete individual posts at any time.
- Usage logs: Aggregated analytics data retained for up to 24 months.
- Payment records: Retained as required by law (typically 7 years for financial records).
- Backup data: May persist in encrypted backups for up to 90 days after deletion.
To request deletion of your account and associated data, see Section 10 below.
10. Your CCPA Rights (California Residents)
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) gives you specific rights regarding your personal information.
You have the right to:
- Know what personal information we collect about you and how it's used and shared.
- Access a copy of the personal information we've collected about you.
- Delete personal information we've collected, subject to certain exceptions.
- Opt out of the sale of your personal information.
- Non-discrimination — we will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights.
🚫 Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Littermates does not sell personal information to data brokers or third-party advertisers. However, certain data-sharing practices (e.g., with marketing partners) may be considered a "sale" under CCPA's broad definition.
To opt out of any potential sale of your personal information, submit a request to us and we will review and honor it within 15 business days.
Submit Do Not Sell Request →
🗑️ Request Deletion of My Data
You can request that we delete your account and associated personal information. We will process your request within 45 days (extendable by an additional 45 days with notice).
Note: Some data may be retained as required by law (e.g., payment records) or for legitimate business purposes (e.g., fraud prevention).
Submit Data Deletion Request →
To submit any CCPA rights request, you can also email us directly at littermatesconnect@gmail.com with subject line "CCPA Rights Request." We may ask you to verify your identity before processing your request.
We do not charge a fee for CCPA requests and will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.
11. Security
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data:
- Passwords are hashed — we never store them in plain text.
- All data in transit is encrypted via HTTPS/TLS.
- OAuth tokens (for third-party integrations) are stored encrypted using AES-256.
- Database access is restricted to authorized personnel and services.
- We regularly review access controls and security practices.
No system is 100% secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at littermatesconnect@gmail.com.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we'll update the effective date at the top of this page.
For significant changes — especially anything that affects how we use your data or your rights — we'll notify you by email (at the address on your account) at least 14 days before the change takes effect.
Your continued use of Littermates after changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.