Bowness Animal Hospital (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of our clients and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you visit our website at bownessvet.ca or interact with us through other channels.
This policy is governed by the Personal Information Protection Act (Alberta), the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), and all applicable US state consumer privacy laws for visitors located in the United States.
By using our website or providing us with your personal information, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described in this Privacy Policy.
We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you:
The types of information we may collect include your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, pet information, and any other details you choose to share with us.
When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information through analytics and tag management tools, including:
When you interact with us by phone, text message, email, or through our website chatbot or automated phone attendant, information from those interactions may be collected and stored by the communication and scheduling platforms we use to operate our clinic. These platforms are described by functional category in Section 6.
We use the information we collect to:
With your consent, we may send you text messages related to appointment reminders, service updates, and promotional offers.
We do not sell or share your phone number with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
We use the following categories of cookies on our website:
When you first visit our website, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner allowing you to accept or decline non-essential cookies. Cookie consent infrastructure on this website is configured by VSA Vet Media Inc. Essential cookies are always active. Statistics and Marketing cookies are only activated upon your consent.
You may update your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the cookie settings option available on our website.
We recognize Global Privacy Control (GPC) and other universal opt-out mechanisms (UOOM) as valid expressions of your privacy preferences where recognition is required by applicable law. If your browser or device is configured with GPC, we will treat that signal as an opt-out of the sale or sharing of your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
We use online advertising services, including search advertising and social media advertising platforms, to reach potential and existing clients. As part of these services, cookies and similar tracking technologies may be used to show you advertisements on other websites or platforms based on your previous visits to our website (remarketing or retargeting).
You may opt out of interest-based advertising by visiting:
Opting out does not mean you will stop seeing advertisements altogether; it means that the ads you see may be less relevant to your interests.
To operate our website and deliver our services, we work with third-party service providers. We share only the information necessary for each provider to perform their function. We do not authorize our service providers to use your personal information for their own purposes. Our service providers fall into the following functional categories:
All service providers are contractually required to handle your personal information in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.
No artificial intelligence or automated system is used to make medical decisions about your pet. All clinical decisions are made exclusively by our licensed veterinary professionals.
Calls to and from our clinic may be recorded. Recordings may be used for quality assurance, staff training, and service improvement purposes. By continuing a call with our clinic, you acknowledge that the call may be recorded.
We use automated systems to send appointment reminders, follow-up messages, and other service communications. These communications are generated based on information in your client record, such as your appointment date and contact preferences.
Our website and phone system may use AI-assisted tools, including a website chatbot and an automated phone attendant. These tools are designed to help you find information, book appointments, and connect with our team. Interactions with these tools may be processed and stored in compliance with applicable law. You may request to speak with a human team member at any time.
Where required by applicable law, you have the right to know when an automated system is being used to process your personal information and to request human review of decisions made by automated means. To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 16.
We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include SSL encryption, access controls, and secure data handling practices.
No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
In the event of a data breach that creates a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected individuals and relevant regulatory authorities as required by applicable law.
Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the following rights with respect to your personal information:
To exercise any of these rights, please submit a request using the contact information in Section 16. We will respond within the timeframe required by the applicable law.
We do not sell your personal information. We may share your personal information in the following circumstances:
Our website and services are not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately using the information in Section 16 and we will take steps to delete that information.
Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including pet resource pages, regulatory bodies, and our online store. This Privacy Policy applies only to our website and does not cover the privacy practices of any third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external websites you visit.
This website connects to Meta platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, through social media links and advertising features. Meta’s use of your information is governed by Meta’s own privacy policy and terms of service, which are separate from this policy. We are not responsible for Meta’s data practices.
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, to maintain your client relationship with our clinic, and to comply with applicable legal, regulatory, and professional obligations. When personal information is no longer required, we dispose of it in a secure manner.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website following the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of those changes.
This website is designed, developed, and maintained by VSA Vet Media Inc., a veterinary-focused digital marketing agency (“VSA”). VSA acts as a service provider to Bowness Animal Hospital and processes personal information collected through this website solely on our behalf and in accordance with our instructions. VSA does not use your personal information for its own marketing or business purposes.
VSA Vet Media Inc. is identified as a service provider for the purposes of applicable privacy legislation, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and other applicable US state consumer privacy laws. Personal information shared with VSA under this arrangement is not considered a “sale” of personal information.
For questions about how VSA handles personal information in its role as a service provider, please contact us at the information provided in Section 16.
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:
Bowness Animal Hospital
Unit 52, 7930 Bowness Road NW
Calgary, Alberta T3B 0H3
Canada
Phone: (587) 391-3911
Email: bownessvet@shaw.ca
We are committed to resolving privacy inquiries in a timely and respectful manner.
