Lost Dogs SA — Privacy Policy
Last updated: August 2026
Lost Dogs SA (lostdogs.co.za) is a free South African platform that helps reunite lost and found dogs with their families. We take your privacy seriously. This policy explains what information we collect, why we need it, and your rights under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
1. What information we collect
When you report a lost or found dog, we may collect:
- Your name and contact details — so people who find or recognise your dog can reach you, or so you can be contacted about a dog you found.
- Your phone number or email address — used for contact about the listing only.
- The dog's photo, name, breed, colour, size, and description — to help identify the dog.
- The location or suburb where the dog was lost or found — so listings appear in the right area and nearby people can help.
- The date the dog went missing or was found — to keep listings current.
When you browse the site, we may collect basic technical information such as your IP address and browser type, as most websites do. We use a cookie to remember your preferred location so we can show you relevant listings. No personal information is stored in this cookie.
Optional website analytics
With your permission, we use Google Analytics 4 (GA4), provided by Google, to understand how people find and use LostDogs.co.za and where the lost or found dog reporting process can be improved. Analytics is disabled by default and only loads after you select Allow analytics.
- We measure general page use and coarse actions such as starting a report, attempting to submit, sharing a report, downloading a flyer, or opening a sighting form.
- We do not send report names, personal names, email addresses, phone numbers, report text, report IDs, or exact lost/found locations to GA4.
- Google Signals, advertising personalisation and user-provided data collection are not used.
- GA4 event data is retained for 14 months.
- You may decline analytics or change your choice at any time through the Cookie Settings link in the footer.
The essential location-preference cookie works independently of optional analytics and helps the site show relevant nearby reports.
2. Why we collect this information
We collect this information for one purpose: to help lost dogs get home safely. Specifically:
- To publish lost and found dog reports so the community can help.
- To connect dog owners with people who may have found their dog.
- To show listings in the right area so nearby people see them.
- To send listing updates or search alerts if you have asked for them.
- To prevent spam, scams, and fraudulent listings.
3. What information is public
When you create a lost or found dog listing, the following will be visible to the public:
- The dog's photo, name, breed, colour, and description.
- The suburb or area where the dog was lost or found (not your street address).
- The date the dog went missing or was found.
- The contact method you choose to share (for example, a phone number or an on-site message form).
We never publish your street address, email address, or full name unless you choose to include them in your listing.
4. What information is private
The following is never shown publicly:
- Your account password.
- Your full registration details.
- Your IP address.
- Your email address (unless you include it in the public listing text yourself).
- Private messages sent through the platform between users.
5. Safety and scams
Important: Lost Dogs SA will never ask you for money or payment. The service is free.
If someone contacts you claiming to have your dog and asks for money before you can see the dog in person, this is likely a scam. Never pay money before seeing the dog.
If you have found a dog, please ask for proof of ownership before handing the dog over. Acceptable proof includes photographs of the dog with the person, veterinary records, microchip registration details, or identifying marks only the real owner would know.
If you suspect a scam, please contact us immediately.
6. How long we keep your information
- Active lost/found reports: Kept for as long as the listing is active. We may contact you after 14, 30, and 90 days to confirm whether the listing should remain active.
- Reunited reports: Kept as success stories to give hope to other families, unless you ask us to remove them.
- Closed or archived reports: Moved out of active search results after confirmation or extended inactivity. Underlying data is retained for safety and record-keeping purposes and may be deleted on request.
- Account information: Retained while your account is active. You may request deletion at any time.
7. Your rights under POPIA
South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act gives you the right to:
- Access — ask what personal information we hold about you.
- Correct — ask us to fix inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Delete — ask us to remove your personal information (subject to any legal obligations we may have to keep certain records).
- Object — object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
- Withdraw consent — withdraw your consent for us to process your information at any time.
- Complain — lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your POPIA rights have been violated. Visit justice.gov.za/inforeg for more information.
8. How to update or delete your information
To update or delete a listing, or to request that we remove your personal information:
- Log into your account and use the listing management tools, or
- Email us at [email protected] with your request.
We will respond to your request within a reasonable time, as required by POPIA.
9. Sharing your information
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.
We may share information:
- With partner animal rescues and shelters listed on our platform, only as needed to help reunite a dog.
- If required by law or to protect the safety of a person or animal.
10. Children's privacy
Lost Dogs SA is not directed at children under 13. If you are under 13, please ask a parent or guardian to report a lost or found dog on your behalf.
11. Contact us
If you have any questions about this privacy policy, or wish to exercise your POPIA rights, please contact:
Lost Dogs SA
Email: [email protected]
Website: lostdogs.co.za
Our Information Officer can be reached at the same email address.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on this page, with the date of the last update shown at the top.
This policy is specific to Lost Dogs SA (lostdogs.co.za) and its lost and found dog reporting service. It does not cover third-party websites that we may link to, including partner rescue organisations and social media platforms.
