Your privacy, in plain English

Last updated: 31 July 2026

1. Introduction

Dogtopia Ballito ("we", "us", "our") is a doggie daycare and dog hotel based in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information you share with us.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect through our website (dogtopia.co.za) and in the course of providing our services, how we use it, who we share it with, and the rights you have. We process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).

By using our website or booking our services, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

2. Who is responsible for your information

The party responsible for processing your personal information (the "Responsible Party" under POPIA) is:

3. Information we collect

We only collect information that we need to serve you and your pup. This includes:

• Contact and booking details you give us through our website forms, by phone, email or WhatsApp — your name, email address, phone number, and any message you send us.
• Information about your dog — your dog's name, breed, and any health, vaccination or temperament details you choose to share so we can care for them safely.
• Photos taken at our premises — see Section 5.
• Technical information — when you visit our website, limited technical data such as your device's IP address may be shared with our font provider and website host (see Section 6). We do not run analytics, advertising pixels, or tracking cookies on this website.

We do not collect payment card information through this website. Payments and deposits for daycare and hotel bookings are handled in person, by EFT, or as arranged directly with us.

4. How we use your information

We use your personal information to:

• Respond to your enquiries and confirm your Meet & Greet, daycare or hotel bookings;
• Provide doggie daycare, overnight hotel, and related services;
• Care for your dog safely, based on the details you provide;
• Contact you about your booking (for example, reminders or collection times);
• Keep records required for running our business.

We contact you only about your booking and your dog. We do not run a marketing mailing list and will not send you promotional emails unless you separately ask us to.

Our lawful basis for this processing under POPIA is the performance of our service to you, your consent, and our legitimate business interests.

5. Photos and social media

We love showing off our happy pups. From time to time we take photos of dogs (and sometimes their owners) at our premises and share them on our website, Facebook and Instagram pages.

If you would prefer that we do not photograph your dog or use their image, simply tell any team member or contact us at info@dogtopia.co.za and we will respect your choice. You may also ask us to remove an existing photo at any time.

6. Cookies and third-party services

This website does not set its own tracking or advertising cookies. However, some features rely on third-party services that may process limited technical data:

• Google Fonts and Font Awesome — our website loads fonts and icons from third-party providers, which may receive your device's IP address to deliver them.
• Website hosting and forms — our site is hosted by Netlify, which stores our website files, serves them to you, and processes submissions from our booking and contact forms.
• Embedded content — a Google Maps embed shows our location, and links to Google Reviews, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and our partner businesses will take you to those third parties, who have their own privacy policies.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party service you interact with.

7. Sharing your information

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with third parties for their own marketing.

We may share information only:

• With trusted service providers who help us operate (such as our website host or email provider), who may only use it to provide their service to us;
• Where required by law, or to protect our legal rights or the safety of a person or animal.

Our website links to independent partner businesses, including Collar & Comb, Sourced 4 Paws, and LittleAngels Pet Nutrition. If you choose to contact or book with them directly, that is governed by their own privacy policy, not this one — we do not automatically share your information with them.

8. International transfers

We are a South African business and store your information in South Africa wherever possible. Some of our service providers (such as our font and hosting providers) may process limited data on servers outside South Africa. Where this happens, we take reasonable steps to ensure your information receives a comparable level of protection, as required by POPIA.

9. How long we keep your information

We keep your personal information for as long as you are an active customer, and for up to five (5) years after your last visit, to meet South African tax and record-keeping requirements. After that, we securely delete or anonymise it. Photos used on social media may remain published until you ask us to remove them.

10. How we protect your information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to keep your information safe, including limiting access to those who need it, using reputable service providers, and securing our devices and accounts. While no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, we work to protect your information against loss, misuse and unauthorised access.

11. Your rights

Under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you;
• Correct or update information that is inaccurate;
• Request deletion of your information, where we are not required to keep it;
• Object to our processing of your information;
• Withdraw consent you have given (for example, for photos), at any time;
• Complain to the Information Regulator.

To exercise any of these rights, contact Vicky Lingley at info@dogtopia.co.za or 063 130 4956. We will respond as required by law.

12. Children's privacy

Our services are directed at dog owners aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with information, please contact us and we will delete it.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top shows when it was last revised. Significant changes will be posted on this page.

14. Contact us

For any privacy questions, requests, or concerns, contact our Information Officer:

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa):

Website: inforegulator.org.za
Email: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001