Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Happy Dog Challenges is a US-based company operating the website at happydogchallenges.co.uk. We run dog enrichment challenges exclusively for participants in the United Kingdom. Because we actively target UK residents, we are subject to UK GDPR and are committed to complying with its requirements.

For the purposes of UK data protection law, we are the data controller of any personal information you provide to us. As a US-based business serving UK customers, your personal data may be processed and stored in the United States. We take all reasonable steps to ensure your data is handled securely and in accordance with UK GDPR.

In accordance with UK GDPR Article 27, we have appointed a UK-based representative who can be contacted by UK data subjects and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) regarding any matters relating to the processing of personal data. To contact our UK representative, please email us at [email protected] and your enquiry will be directed accordingly.

If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at [email protected].

2. What We Collect

We only collect information that is necessary to run our challenges and communicate with you. This may include:

• Your first name and surname
• Your email address
• Your postal address (required to post your rosette to you)
• Your dog's name
• Payment information — processed securely by Stripe; we do not store your card details
• Your activity log submission, including any photos, PDFs, or documents you send to us
• Communications you send to us by email, Facebook message, or our contact form
• If you opt in: your email address for marketing communications

We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18 without the consent of a parent or guardian.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Process your challenge registration and payment
• Send you your activity list, printable log, and welcome information
• Review your submitted activity log
• Post your rosette to your address upon successful completion
• Respond to your questions and support requests
• Send you updates about future challenges and news, where you have opted in to receive these
• Improve our website and services

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Contract performance — we need your name, email, and postal address to fulfil your registration and post your rosette to you.
• Legitimate interests — we may use your information to respond to enquiries and improve our services, where this does not override your rights.
• Consent — we will only send you marketing emails if you have actively opted in to receive them. You may withdraw your consent at any time.

5. Marketing & Communications

If you have opted in to receive marketing communications from us, we may send you emails about upcoming challenges, enrichment tips, and news from Happy Dog Challenges UK.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send, or by contacting us directly at [email protected]. Opting out of marketing will not affect your challenge registration or rosette delivery.

We will never sell your contact details to third parties or use them for any purpose other than those described in this policy.

6. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your data only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers — we use GoHighLevel (GHL) to manage our forms and communications. They process data on our behalf and are contractually required to keep it secure and confidential.
• Payment processing — your payment is processed securely by Stripe. We do not have access to your full card details.
• Legal requirements — we may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to a valid request from a public authority.

Any third parties we work with are required to handle your data in accordance with UK data protection law.

7. How Long We Keep Your Data

We will only retain your personal information for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this policy.

• Registration and challenge data is retained for up to two years after your challenge participation.
• If you have opted in to marketing, we will retain your email address until you unsubscribe.
• Financial records may be kept for up to six years in line with HMRC requirements.

You may request that we delete your data at any time — please see the Your Rights section below.

8. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access — you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification — you can ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to erasure — you can ask us to delete your personal data, subject to certain legal obligations.
• Right to restrict processing — you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability — you can request a copy of your data in a portable format.
• Right to object — you can object to our processing of your data where we rely on legitimate interests.
• Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to your request within one calendar month.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

9. Cookies

Our website may use cookies — small text files stored on your device — to help the site function correctly and to understand how visitors use it. These may include:

• Essential cookies — required for the website to work. These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies — help us understand how visitors interact with our website. We use this information to improve the site.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

10. Third-Party Services

Our website and services use the following third-party platforms. Each has its own privacy policy which we encourage you to review:

• GoHighLevel (GHL) — used for registration forms, email delivery, and CRM. GHL Privacy Policy
• Stripe — used to process payments securely. We do not store or have access to your full card details. Stripe Privacy Policy
• Facebook — we operate a Facebook Page. If you interact with it, Facebook's own privacy policy applies. Facebook Privacy Policy
• Royal Mail — your postal address is used to deliver your rosette via Royal Mail.

Our website may contain links to external websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to read their privacy policies.

International data transfers: Happy Dog Challenges is based in the United States, and both Stripe and GoHighLevel are also US-based companies. When you register, make a payment, or contact us, your personal data may be transferred to and stored in the United States. We take steps to ensure your data is protected in accordance with UK GDPR, including relying on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) where applicable. By using our services, you acknowledge that your data may be processed outside the UK in this way.

11. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. Our forms are served over secure (HTTPS) connections and we use reputable third-party platforms with robust security standards.

No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we do our best to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.