Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated June 26, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains what Tailmates (“Tailmates,” “we,” “us”) collects, why we collect it, and the choices you have. We built Tailmates to get dogs walking — not to harvest data — and we keep the footprint deliberately small.

1. Information we collect

Account information

When you sign up we collect your email address (or your Apple Sign-In identifier), a username, and your US state. State is used only to apply the correct veterinary telehealth and VCPR rules.

Dog and wellness information

You provide details about your dog — name, breed, birthdate, sex, weight, body-condition score, and optional photos. If you choose to pursue a Verified longevity score, blood-panel results are processed and stored in a private, access-controlled store and are visible only to you and a veterinarian you explicitly link.

Location and activity data

Walk tracking uses your device location to draw your route and compute distance, pace, and XP. Location is collected only while you are recording a walk (including in the background if you enable it). Location shared with your pack is coarse only — we never broadcast your precise live coordinates to other users.

Device and usage data

We collect standard diagnostic and product-analytics events (for example, that a walk was finalized) to keep the app working and improve it. With your consent (App Tracking Transparency), limited measurement may be used; you can decline without losing any functionality.

2. How we use information

To run the core loop: record walks, compute XP, streaks, levels, leagues, and badges.
To generate your dog’s Longevity Estimate and, if you opt in, a vet-Verified score.
To power social features you turn on — packs, the activity feed, and the “active now” presence glow.
To detect and prevent cheating, fraud, and abuse.
To communicate with you about your account, safety, and early-access status.

3. How information is shared

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only:

With your pack, and only what you choose to post — plus coarse presence when you are mid-walk.
With a veterinarian you link, who can see only the dogs you connect to them, scoped by row-level security.
With service providers (hosting, authentication, payment processing) under contract and only as needed to operate the service.
When required by law, or to protect rights, safety, and the integrity of the service.

4. Payments

Blood panels and any veterinary services you purchase are processed by our payment provider (Stripe). We do not store full card numbers. The core app — walking, gamification, and your Longevity Estimate — is free, and you will never hit a paywall to use it.

5. Your choices and rights

Export — request a copy of your data from in-app settings.
Delete — delete your account at any time; this removes your profile and cascades to your dogs, walks, and posts.
Location — revoke location permission in iOS settings; walk tracking simply stops working until you re-enable it.
Tracking — decline App Tracking Transparency with no loss of features.

6. Data retention & security

We retain data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service and meet legal obligations, then delete or anonymize it. Access is governed by row-level security so users — and linked vets — can reach only the records they are entitled to. Health records live in a private, non-public store.

7. Children

Tailmates is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

8. Changes

We may update this policy. Material changes will be announced in-app or by email, and the “last updated” date above will change.

9. Contact

Questions? Email hello@tailmates.io.