Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Bird Sitting Toronto ("BST," "we," "our," or "us") operates the BST Bird Rehoming portal at birdrehoming.ca. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use our bird rehoming platform.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of personal information when you use our platform:

• Contact information: name, email address, and phone number
• Location: the city or town you live in and, if you choose to give it, the first three characters of your postal code. We never ask for your street address on this site.
• Application responses: answers you provide during the adoption application process, including whether you have birds at home and who would look after them when you travel
• AI chat transcripts: conversations with our AI interview system during the application process
• Photos: images you upload when submitting a rehome request for your bird
• Waitlist preferences: your bird type preferences, experience level, and home setup details
• Usage data: page views, bird listing views, and general platform interaction data

3. How We Use Your Information

Your personal information is used to:

• Process and evaluate your adoption applications and match you with suitable birds
• Facilitate admin review and decision-making on applications
• Communicate with you about your application status, new bird listings, and platform updates
• Connect accepted adopters with previous bird owners for a smooth transition
• Manage waitlist notifications and preferences
• Improve our platform and matching process
• Understand where the people using the portal live, so we can match birds and adopters who are close to each other
• Only if you tick the separate "send me offers" box: email you occasional offers and bird-care tips from Bird Sitting Toronto (bird boarding, grooming, DNA sexing and supplies)

4. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored securely using Supabase, a trusted cloud database platform with encryption at rest and in transit. We use industry-standard security practices to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, or disclosure. Access to your data is limited to authorized BST administrators who need it to process applications.

5. Email Communications

We send email notifications related to your applications, waitlist status, and new bird availability. These communications are sent via Resend, a transactional email service. You may unsubscribe from non-essential notifications at any time using the unsubscribe link included in our emails. Please note that transactional emails directly related to your active applications cannot be opted out of.

Offers from Bird Sitting Toronto. We only send offers and bird-care tips to people who ticked the "send me offers" box. That box is never ticked for you and is never a condition of applying, listing or joining the waitlist. We keep a record of when you ticked it and the words you agreed to. Every offer email has an unsubscribe link, and unsubscribing stops offers only: emails about an adoption you applied for, or a bird you listed, still arrive.

6. Cookies and Tracking

Our platform uses minimal cookies necessary for site functionality and session management. We track page views and bird listing views to understand platform usage and improve our service. Email open tracking may be used to ensure delivery of important application updates. We do not use third-party advertising trackers.

When you first visit, a cookie bar asks you to choose. If you tap “Accept”, our analytics tool (PostHog) may store a cookie and browser storage so we can recognise a returning visit. If you tap “Essential only”, analytics runs without any cookie or persistent identifier — page views are still counted, but nothing ties one visit to the next. Your choice is remembered in your browser and you will not be asked again; clear your site data to reset it. Essential cookies (such as your sign-in session) are always used regardless of your choice.

7. Data Sharing

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties. When you submit an adoption application, the bird's current owner (rehomer) can see your application's AI compatibility score. The owner may also access your full application — including your name, contact information (email and phone number), your answers, and your AI interview transcript — through a paid portal feature, for the sole purpose of evaluating your application and facilitating the rehoming process. For accepted applications, we share your contact information with the owner to coordinate a smooth transition for the bird. We may also share information with service providers who assist in operating our platform (e.g., email delivery, payment processing via Stripe, database hosting), subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to operate the platform and fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy. Application data is kept to maintain records of rehoming history and to assist with future applications. If you would like your data deleted, please contact us and we will process your request in accordance with applicable laws.

9. Your Rights

Under Canadian privacy law, you have the right to access your personal information held by BST, request corrections to inaccurate information, request deletion of your personal information, and withdraw consent for non-essential communications. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the email address below.

10. Canadian Privacy Compliance (PIPEDA)

BST Bird Rehoming complies with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable Canadian provincial privacy legislation. We are committed to handling your personal information responsibly and transparently, in accordance with Canadian privacy principles including accountability, consent, accuracy, and safeguards.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please visit our contact page to get in touch.

Bird Sitting Toronto
Website: birdsittingtoronto.ca