Privacy Policy

How we collect, use and protect your personal information.

Effective date: 5 May 2026  |  Business: The Pet Naturopath  |  ABN: 28 932 489 706

1. Who we are

The Pet Naturopath is an Australian animal naturopathy and nutrition consulting business operated by Jessica Rice. We provide online nutrition and raw feeding consultations for cats and dogs to clients across Australia.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use, and disclose your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in that Act.

By using our website or engaging our services, you consent to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not submit personal information to us.

2. What personal information we collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

Contact and identity information

  • Your name and preferred name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • General location (state/city — so we understand your time zone for scheduling)

Pet and consultation information

  • Your pet's name, species, breed, age, weight, and reproductive status
  • Your pet's current and historical diet
  • Your pet's health history, conditions, symptoms, medications, and supplements
  • Your veterinarian's name and practice
  • Your pet's lifestyle details (activity level, environment, stress factors)
  • Any other health information you voluntarily provide in a client intake form or during a consultation

Payment information

If you book and pay for a consultation through our booking system (Acuity Scheduling), payment card details are collected and processed directly by Acuity Scheduling and its payment processor (Stripe). We do not store your full card details on our systems.

Website usage information

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Pages visited, time spent, and navigation paths
  • Device type and operating system
  • Referring website address

This data is collected automatically via Google Analytics and is used in aggregate form to understand how our website is being used.

3. How we collect your information

We collect personal information through the following channels:

  • Contact form — when you send us a message via our website contact page
  • Email newsletter signup — when you request our free guide or subscribe to our newsletter
  • Booking system — when you book a consultation through Acuity Scheduling
  • Client intake form — when you complete our pre-consultation questionnaire (provided before your appointment)
  • Consultations — information you share verbally or in writing during your appointment
  • Website analytics — automatically collected when you visit our website

We only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy. You are not required to provide all information requested, but not providing certain details may limit our ability to provide you with a high-quality consultation.

4. Why we collect your information

We collect and use personal information for the following primary purposes:

  • To provide you with animal nutrition and naturopathy consultation services
  • To communicate with you before, during, and after your consultation
  • To prepare written nutrition plans and follow-up materials
  • To process bookings and payments
  • To send you our email newsletter and free resources, where you have opted in
  • To improve our website and services
  • To comply with our legal and record-keeping obligations

We will not use your personal information for any purpose that is incompatible with the primary purpose of collection without your consent.

5. Who we share your information with

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information with the following trusted service providers, only to the extent necessary to deliver our services:

Service Purpose Country
Acuity Scheduling (Squarespace) Online appointment booking and payment processing United States
Stripe Payment card processing (via Acuity Scheduling) United States
Mailchimp (Intuit Inc.) Email newsletter delivery and lead magnet distribution United States
Formspree Contact form submission processing and email forwarding United States
Google Analytics Website traffic analysis and performance reporting United States

Overseas disclosure notice (APP 8): All of the third-party services listed above are based in the United States. By providing us with your personal information and using our services, you acknowledge that your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States. We take reasonable steps to ensure these providers comply with standards comparable to the Australian Privacy Principles, and we have reviewed their privacy policies before use. However, once your information is disclosed to an overseas recipient, the Australian Privacy Act may no longer apply to how that recipient handles it.

We may also disclose your personal information if required to do so by law, or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with a legal obligation.

6. How we store and protect your information

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. These steps include:

  • Using password-protected accounts and devices
  • Using reputable, encrypted third-party services for data processing
  • Limiting access to personal information to the practitioner (Jessica Rice) only
  • Securely storing paper or digital records of consultation notes

Client consultation records are retained for a minimum of 7 years from the date of last contact, in line with general record-keeping best practice. After this period, records are securely destroyed.

Please be aware that no method of internet transmission or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Cookies and website analytics

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to support website analytics through Google Analytics. These cookies help us understand which pages are most visited, where visitors come from, and how people navigate the site. This information is aggregated and does not personally identify you.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some websites but will not prevent you from using our website or booking a consultation.

To opt out of Google Analytics tracking across all websites, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

8. Accessing and correcting your information

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

  • Request access to the personal information we hold about you
  • Request that we correct any personal information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date
  • Withdraw consent to receiving marketing emails at any time (by clicking "Unsubscribe" in any email, or contacting us directly)

To make an access or correction request, please contact us using the details below. We will respond within 30 days. In some circumstances we may need to verify your identity before granting access.

We will not charge a fee for making an access request, although we may charge a reasonable fee to cover the cost of providing access if the request is complex or time-consuming.

9. Privacy complaints

If you believe we have mishandled your personal information or breached the Australian Privacy Principles, we encourage you to contact us first so we can work to resolve your concern.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

  • Website: www.oaic.gov.au
  • Phone: 1300 363 992
  • Post: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001

10. Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (such as Acuity Scheduling, Instagram, or TikTok). These sites have their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for how they collect, use, or disclose your information. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any third-party site you visit.

11. Children

Our services are directed at adults (18+) who are the owners or carers of cats and dogs. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 18 without parental consent. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information without consent, please contact us and we will take steps to remove it.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or legal obligations. When we do, we will update the effective date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website or services after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact us

For any privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns, please contact us:

This policy was last reviewed and updated on 5 May 2026.