1. Introduction

Latimer Animal Hospital (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website latimervets.ca and provides veterinary services to clients in Langley, BC, and the surrounding Fraser Valley. We are committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of our clients, website visitors, and members of the public who interact with us.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, how we share it, and the rights available to you under applicable law. It applies to information collected through our website, by phone, by email, by text message, and through any other channel by which you contact or interact with us.

By using our website or contacting us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect information you voluntarily provide when you:

• Book or request an appointment
• Submit a new client registration form
• Submit a contact or inquiry form
• Request records or product refill requests
• Apply for a career position
• Sign up for SMS or email communications
• Provide feedback or leave a review

This information may include your name, mailing address, email address, phone number, pet name and species, and any other details you choose to include.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically through analytics platforms, tag management systems, and cookie technologies described in Section 5. This may include:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Referral source (how you arrived at our site)
• Interactions with forms, buttons, and links
• Advertising identifiers used to measure campaign performance

2.3 Communication Platforms

When you contact us by phone, we may record calls for quality assurance, staff training, and AI-assisted features described in Section 7. When you contact us by text message or email, we retain a record of that communication to support your care and our service operations.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To schedule and manage appointments
• To provide and coordinate veterinary services
• To communicate with you about your pet’s care
• To send appointment reminders, follow-up messages, and service notifications
• To respond to your inquiries and feedback
• To process product refill requests and service inquiries
• To maintain and improve our website and services
• To analyze website traffic and user behavior for service improvement
• To deliver and measure the effectiveness of online advertising campaigns
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations
• To send marketing and promotional communications where you have provided consent

We do not use your personal information to make automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects without human review.

4. SMS and Text Message Communications

We may send text messages to your mobile number for appointment reminders, service updates, product refill confirmations, and other communications related to your pet’s care. Standard message and data rates may apply.

Consent: By providing your mobile phone number and consenting to receive text messages, you agree to receive SMS communications from Latimer Animal Hospital.

Opting Out: You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying STOP to any message we send. You may also opt out by contacting us by phone at (236) 473-0375 or by email at info@latimervets.ca. We will process your opt-out request promptly. You may receive one final confirmation message after opting out.

Help: Reply HELP to any message for assistance, or contact us directly.

Frequency: Message frequency varies based on your appointment schedule and communication preferences.

Sharing: We do not sell or share your mobile phone number with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

5.1 Types of Cookies

We use the following categories of cookies on our website:

Essential Cookies: These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are typically set in response to actions you take, such as setting your privacy preferences or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block these cookies, but some parts of the website may not function correctly as a result.

Statistics Cookies: These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our website. All information collected by statistics cookies is aggregated and anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies, we will not know when you have visited our site.

Marketing Cookies: These cookies are set through our advertising partners. They may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other sites. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising from us.

5.2 Cookie Consent

When you first visit our website, a cookie consent banner will appear. You may accept all cookies, accept only essential cookies, or customize your preferences by category. Your preferences are saved and applied to subsequent visits. You may update your cookie preferences at any time through the cookie settings link in our website footer.

Our cookie consent infrastructure is configured and maintained by VSA Vet Media Inc. on our behalf.

5.3 Global Privacy Control and Universal Opt-Out Mechanism

Our website recognizes the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal and the Universal Opt-Out Mechanism (UOOM). If your browser or device transmits a GPC or UOOM signal, we will treat that signal as a valid opt-out request for the sale or sharing of your personal information, to the extent required by applicable law.

5.4 Online Advertising and Remarketing

Active departments: Google Ads ✅  Meta / Social Media ✅

We use online advertising services, including search engine advertising and social media advertising platforms, to display advertisements to people who have previously visited our website or who match audience profiles we have defined. This practice is commonly referred to as remarketing or retargeting.

These advertising services use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your visits to our website and other websites in order to serve relevant advertisements across the internet.

You may opt out of interest-based advertising at any time using the following tools:

• Google Ads Settings: google.com/settings/ads
• Network Advertising Initiative Opt-Out: networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp

Opting out of interest-based advertising does not mean you will stop seeing advertisements altogether. It means advertisements you see will not be tailored based on your browsing behavior.

Where required by applicable US state consumer privacy laws, the sharing of personal information with advertising platforms for the purpose of cross-context behavioral advertising constitutes “sharing” of personal information. You may opt out of this sharing using the cookie consent settings on our website, the GPC signal described in Section 5.3, or by contacting us directly.

6. Third-Party Services

We work with third-party service providers to operate our website, manage communications, and analyze performance. We share only the information necessary for these providers to perform their services on our behalf. We do not authorize our service providers to use your personal information for their own marketing purposes.

Our service providers fall into the following functional categories:

• Online appointment and form providers: Platforms that collect and route appointment requests, new client registrations, contact form submissions, and product refill requests. Form submissions are transmitted to our team by email and are not stored in a third-party database beyond what is necessary for delivery.
• Communication and scheduling platforms: Services that support phone, SMS, email, and chat communications between our team and our clients, including call recording and AI-assisted features.
• Website analytics platforms: Services that collect aggregated data about website traffic and visitor behavior to help us understand and improve our site performance, including website analytics and tag management systems.
• Website hosting providers: Services that host and deliver our website files and content.
• Advertising platforms: Services that deliver and measure online advertising campaigns on search engines and social media platforms on our behalf.
• Digital marketing service provider: VSA Vet Media Inc. designs, builds, and maintains our website and provides digital marketing services. See Section 15 for details.

We do not operate an online store at this time. If an online store is added in the future, this policy will be updated to reflect the applicable third-party service providers.

7. AI-Assisted Tools

We use AI-assisted tools to support certain operational and communication functions. These tools are used to improve efficiency and service quality. They do not replace the judgment of our licensed veterinary team.

7.1 No Medical Decisions by AI

No AI system is used to make medical decisions, provide veterinary assessments, or determine care plans for your pet. All clinical decisions are made by our licensed veterinary professionals.

7.2 Call Recording

We record incoming and outgoing phone calls. Recordings may be used for quality assurance, staff training, dispute resolution, and AI-assisted analysis including call categorization and performance review. By calling us, you acknowledge that your call may be recorded. British Columbia is a one-party consent province. Our staff members are informed that calls are recorded.

7.3 Automated Communications

We use AI-assisted tools to send automated appointment reminders, follow-up messages, and re-engagement communications by SMS, email, and phone. These messages are generated based on your appointment history and communication preferences. You may opt out at any time as described in Section 4.

7.4 AI Interaction Disclosure

Some of our communication tools, including phone attendants and website chat features, may involve automated or AI-assisted responses. Where required by applicable law, we disclose when you are interacting with an automated system. Our team reviews AI-generated content before it is published or attributed to a named team member.

7.5 Your Rights Regarding AI

You have the right to request human review of any decision that has materially affected you and that you believe was made in a fully automated manner, in compliance with applicable law. To make such a request, contact us using the information in Section 16.

8. Data Protection and Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include SSL/TLS encryption for data transmitted through our website, access controls limiting who within our organization can access personal information, and security protocols reviewed and maintained by our website and technology service providers.

No method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8.1 Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that creates a real risk of significant harm to individuals, we will notify affected individuals and the relevant regulatory authority as required by applicable law.

9. Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights regarding your personal information.

Canadian Residents

Your rights are governed by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the British Columbia Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), and, where applicable, Quebec’s Act Respecting the Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector (Law 25). These rights include:

• The right to access the personal information we hold about you
• The right to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information
• The right to withdraw consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, subject to legal and contractual restrictions
• The right to be informed about the existence, use, and disclosure of your personal information

Residents of Quebec have additional rights under Law 25, including the right to data portability and the right to request that automated profiling of your information cease.

US Residents Visiting Our Website

You may have additional rights under all applicable US state consumer privacy laws, including the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used, the right to delete your personal information, the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights. We will respond to verifiable requests within the timeframe required by the applicable state statute.

Do Not Sell or Share

We do not sell personal information. Where applicable under law, you may exercise your right to opt out of the sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising by using the cookie consent settings on our website, the GPC signal described in Section 5.3, or by contacting us directly using the information in Section 16.

To exercise any of your privacy rights, please contact us using the information in Section 16. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

10. Sharing of Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share personal information only in the following circumstances:

• With service providers: As described in Section 6, we share information with third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business. These providers are authorized to use your information only as necessary to provide services to us.
• With advertising platforms: When advertising services are active, we may share limited audience data with advertising platforms for the purpose of delivering relevant advertisements. This constitutes “sharing” under certain US state consumer privacy laws. You may opt out as described in Sections 5.3 and 5.4.
• For legal compliance: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, or investigate fraud or security incidents.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our business, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change as required by applicable law.

11. Children’s Privacy

Our website and services are not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe we may have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us using the information in Section 16.

12. Links to External Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including pet insurance providers, government agencies, pet food alert databases, and other external resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any external website you visit.

Meta / Facebook Disclaimer

Our website and advertising use Meta (Facebook) services, including the Meta Pixel. Latimer Animal Hospital is an independent veterinary practice and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Meta Platforms, Inc. The Meta Pixel collects data about your interactions with our website for advertising measurement and audience-building purposes. You may manage your Meta advertising preferences through Meta’s advertising settings or through the cookie consent settings on our website.

13. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, to comply with legal and regulatory obligations, to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreements. When personal information is no longer required for these purposes, we will delete or de-identify it in accordance with our internal data retention practices and applicable law.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our website after changes take effect constitutes your acknowledgment of the updated policy.

15. Website Design and Management

Active department: Website & Dev ✅

Our website is designed, built, and maintained by VSA Vet Media Inc., a veterinary digital marketing agency based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. VSA Vet Media Inc. acts as a service provider on our behalf and accesses personal information collected through our website only as necessary to perform website development, maintenance, and digital marketing services.

VSA Vet Media Inc. does not use information collected through our website for its own marketing purposes and does not sell or share that information with third parties except as necessary to provide services to us.

For the purposes of applicable US state consumer privacy laws, VSA Vet Media Inc. is a service provider as defined under those statutes and processes personal information only pursuant to our written instructions.

16. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information, please contact us:

We will acknowledge your request and respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.