Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Effective date: May 6, 2026

FosterHub is a software-as-a-service platform for animal rescue organizations, foster-based shelters, administrators, staff, volunteers, and foster caregivers. This Privacy Policy explains how FosterHub collects, uses, shares, protects, and retains information when you use our website, hosted application, account features, billing features, messaging tools, emergency alerts, and related services.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information directly from users, organizations, and platform activity. Depending on your role and how your organization uses FosterHub, this may include:

• Account information: name, email address, password credentials handled through Firebase Authentication, role, organization membership, approval status, profile settings, phone number, and communication preferences.
• Organization information: organization name, enabled species/programs, admin seat limits, invite codes, user lists, subscription plan, billing email, subscription status, and administrative settings.
• Foster profile information: foster preferences, availability-related details, phone number, SMS opt-in status, emergency alert preferences, requests, care updates, chat messages, and other information entered by users or admins.
• Animal information: animal names, species, breed, age, weight, medical notes, surgery or care instructions, status, foster assignment, adopter or adoption-interest workflow data, calendar events, and other rescue coordination records.
• Uploaded files and photos: animal photos, documents, file names, storage paths, metadata, and related uploaded content stored through Firebase Storage or similar infrastructure.
• Billing information: billing email, Stripe customer identifiers, subscription identifiers, plan selection, subscription status, renewal/cancellation metadata, and limited invoice or checkout metadata. FosterHub does not store raw credit card numbers.
• Communications: in-app notifications, email notification status, SMS preferences, emergency alert delivery records, support requests, and customer service correspondence.
• Device and browser information: IP-derived approximate location, browser type, device type, operating system, page or feature usage, authentication/session data, error logs, and performance or security signals.

2. How We Use Information

We use information to operate FosterHub and support animal rescue coordination, including to:

• Create, authenticate, and manage user accounts and organization workspaces.
• Provide role-based dashboards for admins, fosters, staff, and authorized users.
• Manage animal profiles, foster assignments, foster updates, requests, chats, FAQs, resources, calendars, emergency alerts, and uploaded files.
• Send operational notifications, including in-app messages, email notifications, and opted-in SMS notifications.
• Process subscriptions, plan changes, billing status, invoices, cancellations, and failed payment workflows through Stripe.
• Provide customer support, troubleshoot bugs, monitor abuse, prevent unauthorized access, and improve reliability and security.
• Analyze aggregate usage patterns to improve the platform, plan limits, workflows, onboarding, and performance.

3. Authentication and Security

FosterHub uses Firebase Authentication for user sign-in and account authentication. Data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections. Within the platform, role-based access controls help limit information to authorized users, organization admins, and appropriate organization members.

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information, including authenticated access, permission rules, hosted infrastructure controls, and secure service providers. No internet-based service, database, storage provider, or communication channel can be guaranteed 100% secure, and users should protect their credentials and notify us or their organization admin if they suspect unauthorized access.

FosterHub is not intended for storing protected human health information subject to HIPAA. Users and organizations should not upload human medical records, insurance records, or other protected human health information into FosterHub.

Organizations and users are responsible for protecting information they export, download, print, screenshot, email, or share outside of FosterHub. Once data is removed from FosterHub by an authorized user action, FosterHub cannot control how that external copy is stored, shared, or protected.

4. Payment Processing and PCI

FosterHub uses Stripe for subscription billing and payment processing. FosterHub does not store raw credit card numbers, card verification codes, or full payment card details on FosterHub systems. Payment details are collected and processed directly by Stripe through Stripe-hosted or Stripe-controlled payment flows.

Stripe is a PCI-DSS compliant, PCI-certified payment service provider. Stripe has stated that it is certified to PCI Service Provider Level 1, the most stringent PCI certification level in the payments industry. FosterHub stores only limited billing metadata needed to operate subscriptions, such as Stripe customer IDs, subscription IDs, selected plan, billing email, subscription status, and relevant renewal/cancellation metadata.

5. SMS Notifications and Twilio

FosterHub may send SMS text messages through Twilio for operational or transactional purposes, such as emergency foster alerts, urgent rescue coordination, schedule changes, account-related notices, or organization workflow updates. SMS messages are not used for unsolicited marketing or spam.

• Users must explicitly opt in before receiving FosterHub SMS notifications.
• Message frequency varies based on organization activity and alert settings.
• Message and data rates may apply.
• Users may reply STOP to opt out where supported by the sending number and carrier rules.
• Users may reply HELP for help where supported, or contact support@getfosterhub.com.
• SMS consent is used only for FosterHub operational messaging and is not sold, rented, or shared for third-party marketing.

6. How We Share Information

FosterHub does not sell personal data. We share information only as needed to operate, secure, support, and improve the service, including with:

• Authorized organization users: organization admins and approved users may access information according to their role, permissions, and organization membership.
• Service providers: Firebase and Google Cloud for authentication, hosting, database, storage, security, and infrastructure; Stripe for subscription billing; Twilio for SMS delivery; email providers for operational email; and support or monitoring tools used to maintain the platform.
• Legal and safety purposes: when required by law, subpoena, court order, legal process, or when we believe disclosure is needed to protect rights, safety, security, users, animals, organizations, or FosterHub.
• Business transfers: if FosterHub is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, or sale of assets, information may be transferred subject to appropriate protections.

If FosterHub offers imports, exports, or integrations with third-party shelter, rescue, payment, messaging, analytics, or communication systems, information may be processed through those systems as directed by the organization or user. Third-party services may have their own privacy practices and availability limits.

7. Cookies, Local Storage, and Analytics

FosterHub may use cookies, local storage, and similar technologies to keep users signed in, remember preferences, support security, route users to the correct workspace, and improve performance. We may use analytics, logging, and performance monitoring to understand aggregate usage, diagnose errors, and improve the service.

8. Data Retention

We retain account, organization, animal, foster, communication, billing metadata, and uploaded content for as long as needed to provide FosterHub, support active organizations, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, prevent fraud, enforce agreements, and maintain security. If an account or organization is deleted, some information may remain temporarily in backups, logs, audit records, billing records, or security systems before routine deletion or anonymization.

9. Your Choices and Rights

You may update certain profile information in FosterHub. Depending on your location and relationship to an organization, you may request access, correction, deletion, export, or restriction of certain personal information. Organization-managed data may also require coordination with your organization admin because rescue records often belong to the organization workspace.

To make a privacy request, contact support@getfosterhub.com. We may need to verify your identity and may retain information where required or permitted for legal, billing, fraud prevention, security, backup, or legitimate operational purposes.

10. Children

FosterHub is intended for animal rescue organizations and adult users. The service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information through FosterHub, contact us so we can review and take appropriate action.

11. International and U.S. Processing

FosterHub is operated from the United States and uses service providers that may process information in the United States and other locations. By using FosterHub, you understand that information may be processed where privacy laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as FosterHub evolves. If we make material changes, we will update the effective date and may provide additional notice through the service or by email where appropriate. Continued use of FosterHub after the updated policy becomes effective means the updated policy applies.

13. Contact Information

Questions, privacy requests, and security concerns may be sent to support@getfosterhub.com.