Effective September 27, 2026 · v1.0
Privacy Policy
What information FoundRadar collects when you report a lost or found pet, send a sighting, or sign up for alerts, what is public, who we share it with, and the choices you have.
This document was prepared for review by a qualified attorney and may change before launch.
Who we are
FoundRadar is a free, volunteer-run lost pet network for people in the United States. In this policy, "FoundRadar," "we," "us," and "our" mean the people who run this website. "You" means anyone who visits the site or uses it.
We never charge fees and never ask for payment. If someone asks you for money "on behalf of FoundRadar," it is not us. Please report it to the contact form at /contact.
This policy explains what we collect, why, what becomes public, who sees it, how long we keep it, and how to use your rights. It works together with our Terms of Use and Cookie Policy.
The short version
- Report pages are public and may be shared and indexed by search engines. That is how pets get found.
- Your exact location stays private. The public page shows an approximate area, moved roughly 150 to 400 meters (about a quarter mile) from your pin.
- Your email is never shown publicly. Your phone is hidden unless you choose to show it.
- We do not sell personal information for money. Optional ad measurement may count as "sharing" under California law. You can turn it off, and we honor Global Privacy Control.
- You can close or delete your report with your private manage link or a privacy request.
Information we collect
Information you give us
| What | Examples | Required? | Who can see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pet details | Species, name, breed or mix, sex, size, colors, age, markings, collar or tag, microchip (yes, no, or unknown), temperament, notes for finders | Species and name (or "Unknown") | Public |
| Pet photos | Up to 5 photos | No | Public |
| Last-seen location | A map pin, ZIP code, cross streets, or a short place description | Yes | Exact pin: private. Approximate area and your place description: public |
| Last-seen date and time | When the pet was last seen or found | Yes | Public |
| Reward | Whether you offer a reward, an optional amount, and a note | No | Public |
| Your name | The name you give us | Yes | Shown on the report as you enter it |
| Your email | Used to send your private manage link and messages about your report | Yes | Private |
| Your phone | Optional | No | Hidden by default. Shown only if you choose to show it |
| Sighting messages | What someone writes in the "I've seen this pet" form, plus their name and contact details | Message: yes | Sent to the report owner only |
| Alert subscriptions | Email, ZIP code, and alert radius | Yes | Private |
| Contact and privacy requests | Your name, email, message, and what you are asking us to do | Yes | Private |
Information we collect automatically
- Security data. When you submit a form, we record a salted hash of your IP address (a one-way scrambled value, not the address itself). We use it to limit how often forms can be sent and to stop spam and abuse. We also use a hidden spam trap and check how long a form took to fill out.
- Ad campaign details. If you arrive from an ad, the link's campaign tags (UTM) and Google click ID are kept in your browser for that visit and saved with any report you post, so we can tell which campaigns lead to real reports.
- Analytics and advertising data (only with your consent). If you allow them, Google Analytics 4 and the Google Ads conversion tag collect information about your device, browser, pages viewed, and actions on the site, such as starting or submitting a report. These tools do not receive the text of your report, your email, or your phone number. See our Cookie Policy.
- Server logs. Our hosting provider's servers keep basic technical logs to keep the site running and secure.
Photos and hidden metadata
Phone photos often carry hidden data, such as the GPS location where the photo was taken. We strip this EXIF and GPS metadata from every photo on upload.
Your device's location
The report form uses your device's location only when you press "Use my location," after your browser asks permission, and only to place the pin. You can type a ZIP code or cross streets instead. We do not track your location in the background.
What is public and what stays private
- Public: pet details, photos, the approximate area, the last-seen date and time, your place description, the reward information you enter, the name you give, and your phone number only if you choose to show it.
- Private: the exact pin location, your email address, your phone number (unless you choose to show it), your manage link, and messages sent to you through the sighting form.
- Search engines and sharing. Report pages can be indexed by search engines like Google. People can share, print, screenshot, and repost them. After you close or delete a report, we remove the page from our site, but we cannot remove copies that other people or search engines have already made.
Do not put your home address, other people's private information, or anything you would not want strangers to see in the public parts of your report.
How we use information
We use information to:
- Run the service. Publish your report, show the approximate area on a map, create printable flyers, and send you your manage link.
- Connect finders and owners. Pass sighting messages to the report owner by email.
- Send neighborhood alerts. Queue alerts about new reports to subscribers near the last-seen area, and send alerts you signed up for.
- Spread the word. Share the public content of a report with shelters, animal control, veterinarians, and lost-pet communities to help find the pet.
- Keep the site safe. Stop spam, scams, fake reports, and abuse. Review and moderate listings.
- Answer you. Reply to contact messages and handle privacy requests.
- Measure and improve. Understand how the site is used and, only with your consent, measure which ads lead to reports.
- Follow the law. Meet legal duties, respond to valid legal requests, and protect our rights and the safety of people and animals.
We do not make automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you.
How we share information
| Who | What | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The public, search engines, and anyone the page is shared with | The public parts of a report | So people can recognize and find the pet |
| The report owner | Sighting messages and the sender's contact details | So the owner can reply |
| Shelters, animal control, veterinarians, and lost-pet communities | The public content of a report | To help find the pet. This is the purpose of the service, and you agree to it when you post |
| Service providers acting for us | Only what they need to do their job | Hosting, email delivery, alert delivery, map display, and security |
| Google (only if you opt in) | Analytics and ad measurement data described in our Cookie Policy | Site analytics and ad conversion measurement |
| Authorities or others when required | Information we are legally required to give, or need to share to protect safety | Legal compliance, fraud prevention, and safety |
| A successor organization | Information we hold | If the project is transferred to another organization, which must follow this policy or give you notice |
Service providers. Our hosting provider runs our servers in the United States and the European Union. Neighborhood alerts may be sent by FoundRadar or by a delivery vendor acting on our behalf. These service providers (also called processors) may use your information only to provide services to us.
Maps. Map tiles are loaded from OpenFreeMap, using OpenStreetMap data. When a map loads, your browser contacts their servers, which can see your IP address, as with any website you visit.
We do not sell personal information for money. See the California section below for how advertising measurement is treated.
Cookies and similar tools
We use a small number of strictly necessary cookies and browser storage items. Analytics and advertising cookies load only after you opt in. We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals. The full list is in our Cookie Policy.
How long we keep information
| Information | How long |
|---|---|
| Active report | 60 days from posting. Then it is marked expired and hidden from search on our site |
| Expired report page | Stays online with an "expired" label so shared links still work, until you delete it or we remove it |
| Private report data (email, phone, exact pin, ad campaign details) | While the report exists. Deleted within 30 days after the report is deleted |
| Photos | Deleted with the report |
| Sighting messages | Kept with the report and deleted with it |
| Alert subscriptions | Until you unsubscribe. We may keep the unsubscribed email only to make sure we do not email you again |
| Contact messages | Up to 24 months |
| Privacy requests and our responses | 24 months, as required by California rules |
| Hashed IP records for rate limiting | Up to 30 days |
| Staff audit logs | Up to 24 months |
| Google Analytics data (if you opt in) | No more than 14 months, based on our Google Analytics setting |
Deleted data may stay in backups for a short time before they are overwritten. We may keep information longer if the law requires it or to deal with fraud or abuse.
How we protect information
- Traffic to the site is encrypted with HTTPS.
- Your manage link token is stored only as a hash.
- IP addresses are stored only as salted hashes.
- Photos are stored outside the public web folder and served through a controlled route.
- Staff access to the admin area requires two-factor authentication, and staff actions are logged.
No system is perfectly secure. Keep your manage link private, because anyone who has it can change or close your report.
Your rights and choices
Everyone can:
- Close or delete a report using the manage link in your email.
- Unsubscribe from alerts using the link in every alert email.
- Turn off analytics and advertising cookies on our Your Privacy Choices page or through the cookie banner.
- Ask us to access, correct, or delete your personal information through the request form on Your Privacy Choices.
We will not treat you differently for using any of these rights.
California privacy rights (CCPA/CPRA)
This section applies to California residents and adds to the rest of this policy.
Categories we collected in the last 12 months
| Category (as named in California law) | Examples | Source | Disclosed for a business purpose to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | Name, email, phone, hashed IP address, Google click ID | You; your browser | Service providers; the report owner (sighting senders); the public (name, and phone if you choose) |
| Customer records | Name, email, phone | You | Service providers |
| Internet or network activity | Pages viewed and actions on the site (only with consent) | Your browser | Google (only with consent); service providers |
| Geolocation data | Last-seen map pin; approximate area; ZIP and radius for alerts | You | Service providers; the public (approximate area only) |
| Audio, electronic, visual, or similar information | Pet photos | You | The public; shelters and communities; service providers |
| Inferences | None | — | — |
Sensitive personal information. A precise map pin can be "precise geolocation" under California law. We use it only to provide the service you asked for: placing the report, working out the approximate area, and queuing nearby alerts. We do not use sensitive personal information to infer characteristics about you, so the "right to limit" does not apply.
Sale and sharing
We do not sell personal information for money. If you opt in to advertising cookies, the Google Ads conversion tag may send information about your visit to Google. California law may treat this as "sharing" personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. You can opt out at any time:
- Use the "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" control on Your Privacy Choices.
- Turn on Global Privacy Control in your browser. We treat it as an opt-out and turn advertising off.
We do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of anyone under 16.
Your California rights
You have the right to:
- Know and access the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have about you, where we got it, why we use it, and who we disclose it to.
- Delete personal information we collected from you, with some legal exceptions.
- Correct inaccurate personal information.
- Opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information.
- Not be discriminated against for using these rights.
How to make a request. Use the request form on Your Privacy Choices or write to the contact form at /contact. We will confirm receipt within 10 business days and respond within 45 calendar days. If we need more time, we will tell you why, and we may take up to 45 more days.
Verification. We check that the request comes from you, usually by sending a confirmation link to the email connected to your report or subscription.
Authorized agents. Someone else can make a request for you. We may ask for your signed permission and ask you to confirm your identity directly.
Financial incentives. We do not offer any financial incentive or price difference in exchange for personal information. The service is free for everyone.
"Shine the Light." We do not disclose personal information to third parties for their own direct marketing.
Other U.S. states
Residents of Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Texas, Oregon, and other states with privacy laws may have similar rights: to access, correct, delete, and get a copy of personal information, and to opt out of targeted advertising, sale, and profiling. We honor these requests from all U.S. users.
Use the same request form. If we deny your request, you can appeal by replying to our decision or writing to the contact form at /contact with "Appeal" in the subject line. We will answer your appeal in writing within the time your state's law requires, usually 45 or 60 days, and explain our reasons. If you are not satisfied, you may contact your state attorney general.
Children
FoundRadar is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, consistent with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). A parent or guardian should post a report for a child. If you believe a child under 13 has given us personal information, contact us at the contact form at /contact and we will delete it.
Users outside the United States
FoundRadar is built for people in the United States. If you use it from elsewhere, your information is handled under this policy and U.S. law.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. We will change the effective date at the top and, for important changes, post a notice on the site.
Contact us
Questions or requests about privacy: the contact form at /contact. You can also use the form on Your Privacy Choices.