Cuddle Paws Co Private Limited ("Cuddle Paws", "we", "us", or "our") is a private limited company incorporated under the laws of India. We operate a retail pet store and digital commerce platform at www.cuddle-paws.in, providing pet food, accessories, grooming, boarding, and veterinary support services to pet owners in the Gachibowli and HITEC City corridor in Hyderabad, Telangana.

We take the privacy of our customers and visitors seriously. This Privacy and Data Protection Policy ("Policy") explains what information we collect, how we use and protect it, and the rights you hold in relation to your personal data.

This Policy is drafted in accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 ("SPDI Rules"), and other applicable Indian laws. It constitutes an electronic record within the meaning of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and requires no physical, electronic, or digital signature from Cuddle Paws.

By accessing or using our Platform, registering for an account, or availing any of our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to the practices described in this Policy. If you do not agree, please refrain from using the Platform.

This Policy applies to:

• All visitors to the Platform, whether or not they hold an account with us.
• Registered users who purchase products or avail services through the Platform or in our physical store.
• Individuals who contact us via phone, email, WhatsApp, or any other communication channel.
• Pet boarding, grooming, and veterinary customers whose personal and pet-related data we process.

This Policy does not cover the data practices of third-party websites, payment processors, or external platforms linked from our Platform. We recommend you review those parties' privacy policies independently.

Personal information you provide

When you register, place orders, or interact with us, you may provide:

• Full name, email address, mobile number, and date of birth.
• Billing and delivery addresses, including pin code and city.
• Login credentials (stored in encrypted form; we never store plain-text passwords).
• Payment-related details — processed entirely by our third-party payment gateway; we do not store card numbers or banking credentials on our servers.
• Pet-related data including your pet's name, species, breed, age, and medical or dietary history — collected only to personalise your service experience.
• Communications sent to us via email, chat, or contact forms.
• Feedback, reviews, or survey responses you voluntarily submit.

Automatically collected technical data

When you access the Platform, our servers automatically record certain technical information, including:

• IP address and approximate geographic location (derived from IP).
• Browser type, version, and operating system.
• Pages visited, time spent, and navigation patterns.
• Referring URLs and exit pages.
• Device identifiers, mobile carrier, and application version (for mobile users).
• Session start and end timestamps and clickstream data.

Location data

With your explicit consent, we may collect precise or approximate location data from your device to offer services such as store navigation, local delivery estimates, or proximity-based promotions. You may withdraw this consent at any time through your device settings, though some location-dependent features may then be unavailable.

Bluetooth permissions

If you enable Bluetooth while using the Platform, we may collect device identifiers to enhance in-store experiences such as check-in services. You may manage Bluetooth permissions through your device settings at any time.

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

1. Account creation, authentication, and management of your customer profile.
2. Processing and fulfilling orders, including scheduling grooming appointments, boarding stays, and veterinary consultations.
3. Personalising your experience, including recommending products suited to your pet's profile.
4. Sending transactional communications such as order confirmations, delivery updates, appointment reminders, and service receipts.
5. Providing customer support and responding to queries, complaints, and feedback.
6. Sending promotional offers, newsletters, and marketing communications where you have opted in or where we have a legitimate interest — you may opt out at any time.
7. Detecting, preventing, and investigating fraud, security incidents, and other unlawful activities.
8. Conducting internal analytics, quality assurance, and business improvement activities.
9. Complying with applicable laws, court orders, and regulatory obligations.
10. Sharing anonymised, aggregated insights (which cannot identify you) with analytics partners.

We will not use your personal data for purposes materially different from those listed above without seeking your prior consent.

We process your personal data on one or more of the following grounds:

• Contractual necessity — to perform the contract you have entered into with us, such as processing your order or booking.
• Consent — where you have explicitly agreed to a specific use of your data, such as receiving promotional emails or enabling location services.
• Legitimate interests — to improve our services, prevent fraud, and conduct business analytics, where these interests are not overridden by your privacy rights.
• Legal obligation — where we are required to process data to comply with Indian law or a court order.

Trusted service partners

We may share your personal data with carefully selected third-party vendors who help us operate the Platform and deliver services, including payment gateway providers, logistics and delivery partners, cloud hosting providers, CRM and marketing automation platforms, and analytics providers. All such parties are contractually required to keep your data confidential and use it only for the specified purpose.

Professional service partners

Where you avail veterinary, grooming, or specialist pet care services facilitated through our Platform, we may share your pet's health or care history with the relevant service professional solely for the purpose of delivering that service.

Legal and regulatory disclosure

We may disclose your data to law enforcement authorities, courts, regulators, or government agencies when required to do so by applicable law, a valid legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Cuddle Paws, our customers, or the public.

Business restructuring

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of Cuddle Paws' business, your personal data may be transferred to a successor entity, subject to that entity assuming obligations equivalent to those in this Policy.

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit the Platform. We use the following categories:

• Strictly necessary cookies — essential for the Platform to function, including session management and login. These cannot be disabled.
• Functional cookies — remember your preferences such as selected city and recently viewed items.
• Performance and analytics cookies — collect anonymised data on how visitors use the Platform to help us improve it.
• Marketing cookies — used with your consent to deliver relevant advertisements and measure campaign effectiveness.

Session cookies expire when you close your browser. Persistent cookies may remain on your device for up to two years depending on their purpose. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of some Platform features.

We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration. Our measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit using industry-standard TLS protocols.
• Encrypted storage of passwords using one-way hashing algorithms.
• Role-based access controls limiting data access to employees and contractors who need it for their role.
• Regular internal security reviews and vulnerability assessments.
• Payment data security managed by PCI-DSS compliant gateway partners — we do not store full card numbers, CVVs, or banking credentials on our systems.

While we maintain robust safeguards, no data transmission over the internet is entirely risk-free. You are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential and for notifying us immediately at info@cuddle-paws.com if you suspect any unauthorised access to your account.

In the event of a data breach likely to cause harm to you, we will notify you and the relevant authorities within the timeframes prescribed by applicable law.

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law. Specifically:

• Active customer account data is retained for the lifetime of your account plus a reasonable period thereafter.
• Transaction records may be retained for up to 7 years in accordance with Indian accounting and tax laws.
• Grooming, boarding, and veterinary records may be retained for as long as your pet's care history remains relevant or as required by applicable professional standards.
• Marketing consent records are retained until you withdraw consent and for a reasonable period thereafter for compliance purposes.

When retention is no longer necessary, we securely delete or anonymise your data.

Subject to applicable Indian law, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Erasure — request deletion of your data where it is no longer necessary or where you withdraw consent.
• Restriction — request that we limit how we process your data in certain circumstances.
• Data portability — request a machine-readable copy of data you have provided to us.
• Withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
• Object — object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including direct marketing.

To exercise any of these rights, write to us at info@cuddle-paws.com. We will acknowledge your request promptly and respond within the timeframes prescribed by law.

By registering on the Platform or using our services, you authorise us to contact you via email, SMS, WhatsApp, or phone for transactional communications and, where you have opted in, for promotional offers, loyalty programme updates, and information about new products and services.

You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by:

• Clicking the "Unsubscribe" link in any marketing email.
• Sending a written opt-out request to info@cuddle-paws.com.
• Contacting our team via WhatsApp or phone to request removal from marketing lists.

Even after opting out of marketing, you will continue to receive essential transactional messages such as order confirmations, booking reminders, and security alerts, as these are necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations to you.

By registering with us, you acknowledge that you may receive communications from Cuddle Paws even if your mobile number is registered under India's DND / DNC / NCPR scheme, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

The Platform may contain links to external websites, social media platforms, or third-party service providers. These linked resources are not under our control and this Policy does not apply to their data practices. We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of any third-party platform you access via a link on our Platform. We are not liable for the data handling practices, content, or security measures of any third party.

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the SPDI Rules, we have appointed a Grievance Redressal Officer to address concerns relating to this Policy or the processing of your personal data.

Our Platform is not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect, process, or store personal data from minors without verifiable parental or legal guardian consent. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has submitted personal information to us without your knowledge, please contact us immediately at info@cuddle-paws.com so we can take appropriate action.

We reserve the right to update or revise this Policy at any time to reflect changes in our business practices, technology, or legal requirements. Material changes will be communicated via email or a prominent notice on the Platform. The date of the most recent revision is indicated at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Platform following publication of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Policy.

This Policy and any dispute arising in connection with it shall be governed by the laws of India. The courts of Hyderabad, Telangana shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any disputes relating to this Policy, without prejudice to any mandatory legal protections you may have under the laws of your place of residence.