Privacy and terms

1. Privacy notice (KVKK)

This notice is provided under Article 10 of the Turkish Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 (KVKK) and the Communiqué on the Procedures and Principles for Fulfilling the Obligation to Inform, to inform users of pawgeo.com (Pawgeo). It is not a consent form; processing based on explicit consent is asked for separately, and only where it applies.

1.1 Data controller

• Data controller: [VERİ SORUMLUSU UNVANI]
• The postal address for written applications is provided on request via [email protected].
• Contact: [email protected]

1.2 Categories of personal data

1.3 Purposes and legal grounds (KVKK Art. 5)

Special categories of personal data (KVKK Art. 6): Pawgeo does not aim to collect special category data such as health, religion, ethnic origin or biometric data and does not ask for it in any form. Health information about pets is not personal data. Please do not post special category data about yourself or others; if we notice it, it is not processed unless one of the conditions in Art. 6/3 applies, and it is removed. Uploaded photos are not processed for face recognition or any other biometric purpose.

1.4 Transfers

Within Turkey, personal data may be disclosed to authorised public bodies and courts only on request and under the applicable law (Art. 8, Art. 5/2(ç)), and to our legal advisers in disputes (Art. 5/2(e)). Content you post in public areas (reviews, listings, chat, Q&A) is visible to everyone with your username; private messages go only to the recipient. Team notifications (Telegram and email) contain no personal data.

Abroad (KVKK Art. 9): the providers below are established outside Turkey or process data outside Turkey. As there is no adequacy decision by the Turkish Personal Data Protection Board, the transfers rely on the safeguard or the occasional transfer condition shown below.

Possible risks: the receiving country may not offer protection or remedies equivalent to KVKK, and its authorities may access the data. We therefore limit transfers to the data that is needed.

1.5 How we collect data

Personal data is collected electronically, by automated or partly automated means: through sign up, account, listing, review, chat and contact forms, sign in with Google, cookies and similar technologies, and server access logs. Business listing details come from public sources (see the Business data section).

1.6 Retention periods

When the period ends or the grounds for processing no longer apply, data is deleted, destroyed or anonymised (KVKK Art. 7).

1.7 Your rights (KVKK Art. 11)

• to learn whether your personal data is processed,
• to request information if it has been processed,
• to learn the purpose of processing and whether it is used accordingly,
• to know the third parties in Turkey or abroad to whom it is transferred,
• to request correction if it is incomplete or inaccurate,
• to request deletion or destruction under the conditions of KVKK Art. 7,
• to request that correction, deletion and destruction be notified to third parties who received the data,
• to object to a result against you that arises only from analysis by automated systems,
• to claim compensation if you suffer damage because of unlawful processing.

In your account, Download my data gives you a JSON copy of your data and Delete account deletes your account yourself.

1.8 How to apply

Send your request to [email protected] or use the contact form and choose Personal data request (KVKK). Under the Communiqué on the Procedures and Principles of Application to the Data Controller, a request is made in writing or via registered electronic mail (KEP), secure electronic signature, mobile signature or the email address you gave Pawgeo before and that is registered in our system. Please include your full name, your signature for written requests, your Turkish ID number (foreigners: nationality and passport or ID number), your address for notices, if available an email address or phone number for notifications, and the subject of your request. We may ask for more information to verify your identity.

We answer free of charge as soon as possible and within 30 days at the latest. If the action involves an extra cost, the fee in the Board's tariff may be charged. If your request is rejected, you find the answer insufficient or we do not answer in time, you may complain to the Personal Data Protection Board within 30 days of learning the answer and in any case within 60 days of your request (KVKK Art. 14).

2. Processing based on explicit consent

The processing below happens only with your explicit consent. Not consenting does not stop you from using the service. Consent texts are separate from this notice and are shown only next to the related checkbox. You can withdraw consent at any time, with effect for the future.

3. Cookies

Cookies and similar technologies such as your browser's local storage keep small pieces of information on your device. Pawgeo uses no advertising or marketing cookies and sets no third party tracking cookies. Strictly necessary cookies are required for the service and need no consent (Art. 5/2(c) and 5/2(f)). Analytics asks for your explicit consent; preference records only remember your choice.

Analytics loads only if you choose Accept in the cookie banner. It measures the viewed page (personal links are masked, no query string is sent), the clicked link, time on page, scroll depth, screen size and browser language, and it respects Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control. Map tiles load from OpenStreetMap servers; they set no cookies but those servers see your IP address (see Transfers).

You can change your choice any time with Cookie settings at the bottom of the page. You can delete or block cookies and local storage in your browser settings; if you block necessary cookies, sign in and forms will not work.

4. Terms of use

4.1 Parties and acceptance

These terms govern the relationship between [VERİ SORUMLUSU UNVANI] ("Pawgeo") and the people who use pawgeo.com. By using the site, and when signing up by ticking I accept the terms of use, you accept these terms. Pawgeo is a free directory and community service; no payment is taken.

4.2 Accounts

• You must be 18 or older to sign up. If you are under 18, you may sign up only with the permission of a parent or guardian; posting adoption listings and adopting require you to be 18.
• Use a real email address and keep your account and password safe. You are responsible for actions in your account; tell us at once if you notice unauthorised use.
• Usernames may not impersonate others or contain insults or trademark infringement.
• You can delete your account at any time from your account page.

4.3 User content and licence

You keep the rights to the reviews, listings, photos, messages, questions and answers you post. By posting, you give Pawgeo a worldwide, non exclusive, royalty free, non sublicensable licence to use this content to run, show, translate and format the service (for example to resize photos) and to promote Pawgeo. The licence ends when you delete the content or close your account, except for public content that stays anonymous as Former member and for quotes by others. You confirm that you hold the rights to your content and that it does not infringe anyone's rights.

4.4 Prohibited content and conduct

• Unlawful content, insults, threats, harassment, hate speech, discrimination or obscenity,
• Sharing other people's personal data (phone, address, email, ID, photos) without permission,
• Content that encourages violence against animals, animal fighting or cruelty,
• Spam, ads, referral links, fake accounts, fake or paid reviews, reviews with a conflict of interest,
• Intellectual property infringement, malware, attempts to break the security of the system, automated bulk scraping,
• Impersonating the Pawgeo team or anyone else.

4.5 No selling animals

Pawgeo is for free adoption only. Selling animals or asking for anything in return, whatever it is called (price, food money, transport or vaccination fee), deposits and advance payments are forbidden. Listings that break this rule are not published or are removed, and the account may be closed. Never pay before seeing the animal and never give anyone card or bank details.

4.6 Health information is not advice

Information in chat, Q&A, reviews and the blog is general information and does not replace an examination, diagnosis or treatment by a vet. The Verified vet badge only shows that the person was checked to be a vet; it does not guarantee their information. In an emergency, go to the nearest open vet.

4.7 Business information

Some business listings were checked by hand; others come from public sources and are marked not verified yet. Opening hours, phone numbers and services can change; check with the business before you go. The Google rating is third party data and is shown with its source. Pawgeo is not responsible for the services of listed businesses and does not take money from businesses for ranking.

4.8 Limitation of liability

The service is provided as is and free of charge; we do not guarantee it will be uninterrupted or error free. To the extent permitted by law, Pawgeo is not liable for content posted by users, for contacts, adoptions and meetings between users, or for damage arising from third party services. This limitation does not apply to intent and gross negligence or to liability that cannot be limited by law. The statutory rights of consumers remain reserved.

4.9 Hosting provider status and notice and takedown (Law No. 5651)

For content posted by users, Pawgeo is a hosting provider within the meaning of Law No. 5651 on Regulating Internet Publications and Combating Crimes Committed through Such Publications. As a hosting provider we have no duty to monitor content or investigate whether there is unlawful activity; when we are notified of unlawful content, we remove it as far as technically possible (Art. 5). Reviews and adoption listings are checked by our team before they go live; this check does not mean we take on publishing responsibility.

• Notice: the Report button next to the content, the contact form or [email protected]. Please include the link to the content, why it is unlawful and how we can reach you.
• Review: we handle notices with priority and may ask the person who posted it for their view.
• Requests about violations of personal rights (Art. 9) and privacy (Art. 9/A) are answered within 24 hours at the latest.
• Decisions of courts and of the Information and Communication Technologies Authority are applied at once, and the person who posted is informed.
• If you think something was removed unfairly, you can object through the same channels.

4.10 Suspension and termination

If these terms or the community rules are broken, content may be removed and the account may be muted for a period or closed. For serious or repeated violations there may be no prior notice. You can end the agreement any time by deleting your account.

4.11 Changes

We may update these terms. We announce important changes on the site and, where needed, by email; using the service after a change means you accept the new terms. The date at the top of the page shows the last update.

4.12 Governing law and jurisdiction

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Turkey. The courts and enforcement offices of Antalya have jurisdiction over disputes; the statutory rights of consumers to apply to consumer arbitration committees and consumer courts remain reserved.

5. Community rules

Pawgeo is a place where pet owners help each other. The rules are short: be kind, be truthful, don't share anyone's personal data, don't sell animals.

For everyone

• No insults, humiliation, hate speech or harassment. Argue with the idea, not the person.
• Don't post phone numbers, addresses, emails or other personal details in public areas; contact happens through Pawgeo messages.
• No ads, spam, referral links or sending the same message again and again.
• Don't use other people's photos or content without permission.
• If you see a problem, use the Report button; don't escalate, block the person if needed.

Chat rooms

• Anyone can read; members with a confirmed email write. At most 3 messages in 5 seconds.
• New members can't send photos in their first 24 hours.
• In the health room, emergencies don't wait for chat: go to the nearest open vet.
• You can delete your own messages; moderators delete messages that break the rules.

Q&A

• Questions and answers go live at once and are moderated afterwards through reports and filters.
• Don't speak with certainty about things you don't know; for risky topics such as medicine doses, refer people to a vet.
• Answers with the Verified vet badge are shown first; the badge does not replace an examination either.

Business reviews

• Write only about your own real experience: at least 30 characters, 1 to 5 stars, one review per member per business.
• Business owners and staff can't review their own business; reviews in return for payment or discounts are forbidden.
• Reviews go live after approval by our team; an edited review is checked again.
• Approved Pawgeo reviews make up the business's Pawgeo rating, which counts in the ranking after at least 3 reviews.
• The business owner may reply once to each review, politely.

Adoption listings and reunion stories

• Free adoption only. Asking for a price, deposit, food money or transport fee is forbidden.
• Use your own photos of the animal in the listing (1 to 6). Location is shown only as province and district.
• Don't write a phone number; people interested reach you through Pawgeo messages.
• Listings go live after approval; every 60 days we ask whether they are still current.
• When the pet finds a home, close the listing; if you like, add 1 to 3 photos and a short story. Reunion stories also go live after approval; the new family's faces, address or door number should not be visible.

Enforcement

Content that breaks the rules is removed. Depending on the case, we warn, mute for a period or close the account. For sales, fraud and violence against animals the account may be closed at once and, where needed, reported to the authorities. Every moderation action is written to the audit log.

6. Business data and removal requests

Business listings on Pawgeo come from two sources. Hand checked listings were reviewed by our team. Listings marked not verified yet are collected from public Google Maps listings.

• What we take: business name, category, address, location, phone, website, opening hours, Google rating and number of reviews.
• What we don't take: review texts, reviewer names, photos. These listings show a category picture.
• Ratings are shown with their source: the Google rating as Google, approved reviews by our members separately as Pawgeo.
• For sole traders the business name or phone can be personal data. It is processed because the business itself made it public (KVKK Art. 5/2(d)) and because of the legitimate interest of pet owners in reaching the service (Art. 5/2(f)).

Corrections and removal: if a listing concerns you or your business, use the Request removal of this listing link on the listing page, the form on the For businesses page, the contact form or [email protected]. We remove unverified listings on request and check and apply correction requests. We answer within 30 days at the latest. If you own the business, you can claim the listing, update its details and reply to reviews.