Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 21, 2026

The Shamu Foundation (“we”, “us”) helps pet parents in financial distress afford life-saving veterinary care. This policy explains what we collect when you use this website or contact us, what we do with it, and the choices you have. It applies to www.shamufoundation.org and to the messages we send you.

Information we collect

We only collect what you choose to give us. When you submit the contact form, that is:

• Your name, so we know who we are talking to.
• Your email address, so we can reply.
• Your phone number, so we can reach you quickly about an urgent case and, if you have consented, send you text messages.
• Your message, including anything you tell us about your pet, their diagnosis, the estimate you have been given, or your circumstances.

Our web host also keeps standard server logs — IP address, browser type, and the pages requested — which are used to keep the site running and secure. We do not use advertising trackers, and this site sets no analytics or marketing cookies.

How we use your information

• To reply to you and follow up on what you asked.
• To review a request for help, which may mean discussing your pet's condition with the licensed veterinarians and review committee who assess applications.
• To send you text messages about your request, if you consented to them.
• To keep records of the grants we make and meet our legal and accounting obligations.

We do not use your information to make automated decisions about you, and we never use the details of your case publicly without asking you first.

Text messages and your consent

Ticking the consent box on our contact form opts you in to receiving SMS messages from the Shamu Foundation at the number you provided. Specifically:

• Message frequency varies — we text you about your own enquiry or application, not on a schedule.
• Message and data rates may apply, depending on your mobile plan.
• Reply STOP to any message to opt out. You will get one confirmation, and we will not text you again unless you opt back in.
• Reply HELP for customer care contact information.
• Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
• Consent to receive texts is never a condition of receiving help from us. You can withdraw it at any time and still apply, and we will contact you by email instead.

We do not share mobile information, phone numbers, or SMS opt-in consent with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. No mobile opt-in data is sold, rented, or passed on for anyone else's advertising, under any circumstances.

Who we share information with

We share the minimum necessary, and only with:

• The veterinarians and review committee assessing your application, so a medical decision can be made.
• The veterinary hospital treating your pet, where we are paying part of a bill on your behalf.
• Service providers who operate this site and our email and messaging on our behalf, bound to use the data only for that purpose.
• Authorities, where the law requires it.

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

How long we keep it

Enquiries that do not become applications are kept for up to two years, then deleted. Records relating to a grant we funded are kept for seven years to meet accounting and charitable-reporting requirements. You can ask us to delete your information sooner, and we will unless we are legally required to keep it.

Keeping it safe

This site is served over HTTPS, and access to submissions is limited to the people who need it to do their work. No system is perfectly secure, so please do not send us financial account numbers or government identification numbers through the contact form.

Your choices and rights

You can ask us to show you the information we hold about you, correct it, or delete it. You can opt out of text messages at any time by replying STOP, and out of email by asking us. If you live in California, the California Consumer Privacy Act gives you these rights explicitly, along with the right not to be treated differently for exercising them — and we do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined in that law.

To make a request, contact us using the details below. We may need to confirm your identity before we act.

Children

This site is not intended for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their information. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

If we change how we handle your information we will update this page and the date at the top. Material changes to how we use text messaging will be announced before they take effect.

Contact us

Questions about this policy, or about anything we hold on you:

• Email: info@shamufoundation.org
• Post: [mailing address]
• Or use the contact form on our home page.