Privacy Policy for Newport Village Animal Hospital

Effective Date: 10 April 2026

1. Introduction

Newport Village Animal Hospital (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of our clients and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard personal information in connection with our veterinary practice and the website located at www.newportvets.ca (the “Website”).

We operate in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA, SBC 2003 c.63), the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA, SC 2000 c.5), and all other applicable Canadian privacy legislation. By using our Website or communicating with our practice, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

If you have questions about this policy or how we handle your information, please contact us at the details provided in Section 16.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect personal information that you provide voluntarily when you:

Complete a new client registration form
Request an appointment online or by phone
Submit a contact or inquiry form on our Website
Sign up to receive SMS or email communications from us
Submit a product refill or online store order
Call our practice

The types of personal information collected may include your name, mailing address, telephone number, email address, pet name and species, and relevant pet health history that you choose to share with us for the purpose of receiving veterinary care.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Website, certain information is collected automatically through cookies and similar tracking technologies. This may include:

Your IP address and approximate geographic location
Browser type, version, and operating system
Pages visited, time spent on each page, and referring URL
Device identifiers and session data

This information is used to analyse how our Website is used, to improve the user experience, and to ensure the Website functions correctly. We use analytics tools for this purpose. Analytics data is processed in accordance with applicable privacy law and our cookie consent framework described in Section 5.

2.3 Communication Platforms

Our practice uses communication and practice management platforms to coordinate appointments, send reminders, process forms, and manage client communications. Information you provide through these platforms, including phone calls, text messages, and online forms, is subject to this Privacy Policy and the privacy practices of those third-party service providers.

Our practice records incoming and outgoing telephone calls. Please see Section 7.2 for details regarding call recording consent.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information collected for the following purposes:

Providing, scheduling, and coordinating veterinary care for your pet
Sending appointment reminders, follow-up communications, and recall notices
Processing online appointments, registration forms, and service inquiries
Processing online store orders and product refill requests
Communicating with you about your pet’s care via phone, email, or SMS
Operating, improving, and securing our Website
Complying with legal and regulatory obligations
Responding to inquiries and providing customer service

We do not use your personal information for purposes other than those described above without your express consent.

4. SMS and Text Message Communications

Our practice sends SMS and text messages to clients for purposes including appointment reminders, recall notices, and service updates. These communications are governed by Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL, SC 2010 c.23).

Transactional messages, such as appointment confirmations and reminders directly related to your pet’s care, may be sent on the basis of implied consent arising from your existing relationship with our practice. Marketing or promotional messages require your express consent.

You may withdraw your consent to receive SMS messages at any time by replying STOP to any message from us, or by contacting us at (604) 492-3900 or vetsnewport@gmail.com. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of messages sent prior to your request. Standard message and data rates from your mobile carrier may apply.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

5.1 Types of Cookies

Our Website uses the following categories of cookies:

Essential cookies: Necessary for the Website to function correctly. These cookies cannot be disabled. They include cookies required for security, navigation, and basic site functionality.
Statistics cookies: Used to understand how visitors interact with our Website. They collect anonymised or aggregated data about page views, traffic sources, and site performance. These cookies are opt-in and require your consent before activation.

We do not currently use marketing or advertising cookies. If this changes, this policy will be updated accordingly.

5.2 Cookie Consent

When you first visit our Website, a consent banner allows you to accept or decline non-essential cookies. Essential cookies are always active and cannot be refused. Your preferences are saved for future visits. You may update your cookie preferences at any time through the consent tool on our Website. Our Website’s consent banner is configured by VSA Vet Media Inc. on behalf of Newport Village Animal Hospital.

5.3 Universal Opt-Out and Global Privacy Control (GPC) Recognition

Our Website recognises the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal. If your browser or extension sends a GPC signal, we will treat this as a request to opt out of non-essential data collection to the extent required by applicable law. You may also use your browser settings to manage or delete cookies at any time, though doing so may affect certain Website functionality.

6. Third-Party Services

To deliver our services, we engage third-party providers. We share only the personal information necessary for each provider to perform their function. We do not sell personal information to third parties.

The categories of third-party service providers we engage include:

Veterinary practice management and communication platforms
Website analytics platforms
Website hosting and infrastructure providers
Online form and appointment booking providers
Online retail and product fulfilment providers
Email and SMS communication platforms
AI-assisted communication tools (see Section 7)

All third-party providers are required to handle personal information in a manner consistent with applicable privacy law. We do not authorise third-party providers to use your personal information for their own independent purposes.

7. AI-Assisted Tools

Our practice uses AI-assisted tools to improve communication efficiency and the client experience. These tools operate in support of our team and do not replace the professional judgement of our licensed veterinarians.

7.1 No Medical Decisions by AI

AI tools used by our practice do not make clinical assessments, professional veterinary judgements, or health decisions regarding your pet. All clinical decisions are made exclusively by licensed veterinary professionals. Any automated communication from our practice is administrative in nature.

7.2 Call Recording

Telephone calls to and from our practice are recorded. Recording is conducted in accordance with PIPA (BC) and PIPEDA. By calling our practice, you consent to the recording of the call. Recordings are used for quality assurance, staff training, and administrative purposes. Recordings are retained only as long as necessary for these purposes and are then securely deleted.

7.3 Automated Communications

We use automated communication tools to send appointment reminders, recall notices, and follow-up messages. These messages are generated based on your appointment history and contact preferences on file. You may opt out of automated communications at any time by contacting us at (604) 492-3900.

7.4 AI Interaction Disclosure

Our practice may use AI-assisted tools for voicemail transcription, call categorisation, appointment scheduling support, and review response assistance. When you interact with an automated phone system or chatbot on our Website, you may be interacting with an AI-assisted tool. Our team reviews and oversees all AI-assisted outputs.

7.5 AI Rights

You have the right to request human review of any automated decision or AI-assisted communication that affects your relationship with our practice. To make such a request, contact us at the details in Section 16. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

8. Data Protection and Security

We implement reasonable physical, administrative, and technical safeguards to protect personal information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include access controls, encrypted data transmission, and staff training on privacy practices.

While we take appropriate precautions, no method of data transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your personal information.

8.1 Data Breach Notification

In the event of a breach of security safeguards involving personal information that creates a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia (OIPC BC) as required by applicable law.

9. Privacy Rights

Under the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA, SBC 2003 c.63), you have the following rights regarding your personal information held by our practice:

Right of access: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you.
Right of correction: You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
Right to withdraw consent: You may withdraw your consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions. Withdrawal of consent may affect our ability to provide certain services.

To exercise any of these rights, please submit a written request to us at the contact details in Section 16. We will respond within the timeframe required by the applicable statute.

If you are dissatisfied with our response, you have the right to contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia at www.oipc.bc.ca.

10. Sharing of Information

We do not sell personal information. We do not share personal information with third parties except as follows:

With service providers engaged to perform functions on our behalf, as described in Section 6
With your consent, where required
As required or permitted by applicable Canadian law, including in response to a lawful order, subpoena, or regulatory requirement
To protect the safety, rights, or property of our practice, our clients, or the public, where permitted by law

All sharing of personal information is conducted in compliance with PIPA (BC) and PIPEDA.

11. Children’s Privacy

Our Website and services are not directed at individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental or guardian consent. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us immediately at vetsnewport@gmail.com and we will take steps to delete it.

12. Links to External Websites

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites, including pet health resources and government information pages. These links are provided for informational convenience only. Newport Village Animal Hospital does not control, endorse, or accept responsibility for the content or privacy practices of any linked website. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

13. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, to comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, and to resolve any disputes. Veterinary records are retained in accordance with applicable professional standards and British Columbia regulatory requirements. When personal information is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. The effective date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our Website or services following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. For material changes, we will take reasonable steps to notify you in accordance with applicable law.

15. Website Design and Management

This website is designed and managed by VSA Vet Media Inc. on behalf of Newport Village Animal Hospital. VSA Vet Media Inc. is a digital marketing agency and is not a veterinary practice. In its role as website manager, VSA Vet Media Inc. may have access to technical website data, including aggregated analytics and form submission logs, solely for the purpose of providing website management services. VSA Vet Media Inc. does not use this data for any purpose other than delivering services to Newport Village Animal Hospital.

16. Contact Information

For privacy inquiries, access requests, or to exercise your rights under PIPA (BC), please contact us at:

Newport Village Animal Hospital
276 Newport Dr, Port Moody, BC V3H 5B9
Phone: (604) 492-3900
Email: vetsnewport@gmail.com
Website: www.newportvets.ca

We will acknowledge receipt of your request and respond within the timeframe required by the applicable statute.