Anchor (“we,” “our,” or “us”) provides a mobile application and website (collectively, the “Service”) that helps dog owners track and manage canine epilepsy. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we handle your information.

This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, and how you can control it. By using Anchor, you agree to the practices described below.

1. Information We Collect

a. Account Information

When you create an account, we collect your name, email address, and profile photo (if provided). Authentication is handled by our third-party provider, Clerk. We do not store passwords.

b. Pet & Health Data

We collect the following pet-related health information that you voluntarily provide:

Dog profiles — name, breed, date of birth, weight, diagnosis date, photo, and notes.
Seizure entries — seizure type, duration, severity, triggers, post-ictal behaviors, recovery time, and notes.
Medications — medication names, dosage, frequency, pill counts, refill thresholds, and dose logs (taken, skipped, or missed).
Blood work — test dates, phenobarbital levels, bromide levels, liver enzyme values, and notes.

c. Environmental & Location Data

When you log a seizure, Anchor may automatically capture environmental context to help identify potential triggers. This includes:

Barometric pressure, temperature, and humidity
Weather conditions and moon phase
Approximate GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) at the time of the seizure

Location data is only collected when you actively log a seizure entry and have granted location permissions. You can revoke location access at any time through your device settings.

d. Community Content

If you participate in the Anchor community, we collect the content of your posts, comments, and reactions. You may post anonymously — anonymous posts are not publicly linked to your profile, though they remain associated with your account internally for moderation purposes.

e. Device & Usage Information

We may collect standard technical information such as device type, operating system version, app version, and general usage analytics to improve the Service. We do not use this data for advertising.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

Provide, maintain, and improve the Service
Track and display seizure history, medication schedules, and health trends for your dogs
Correlate environmental data with seizure events to help identify potential triggers
Generate vet-ready reports that you can export and share
Operate the community forums and moderate content
Send you optional notifications (medication reminders, milestones, community replies) based on your preferences
Ensure the security and integrity of the Service

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. Ever.

We may share limited data with:

Service providers — Third-party services that help us operate Anchor (e.g., Clerk for authentication, Convex for database hosting). These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data.
Legal requirements — If required by law, court order, or governmental request.
Research (opt-in only) — If you explicitly opt in via your account settings, your anonymized and de-identified seizure data may be contributed to canine epilepsy research. This is entirely voluntary and can be revoked at any time.

4. Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored securely using Convex, a managed database platform with encryption at rest and in transit. The iOS app stores data locally on your device for offline functionality and syncs with the cloud when connectivity is available.

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including encrypted connections (TLS/SSL), secure authentication tokens, and access controls. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. You can request deletion of your account and all associated data at any time by contacting us. Upon deletion request, we will remove your data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

6. Your Rights & Choices

You have the right to:

Access your personal data and export your seizure, medication, and blood work records
Correct inaccurate information in your profile or pet records
Delete your account and all associated data
Opt out of research data contribution at any time
Control notifications through your account settings
Revoke permissions (location, notifications) through your device settings

7. Children's Privacy

Anchor is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

8. Third-Party Services

Anchor integrates with the following third-party services, each governed by their own privacy policies:

Clerk — Authentication and user management
Convex — Real-time database and backend infrastructure
Apple — App distribution via the App Store and push notifications via APNs

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these services.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page with a new “Last updated” date. Your continued use of Anchor after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us at:

Email: support@getanchor.app