Privacy Policy

1. What data we collect

We may collect the following categories of personal data:

• Identity data: your name and, where relevant, the name of your pet(s).
• Contact data: phone number, email address, and postal address.
• Clinical data: information about your pet's health, treatment history, medications, and vaccination records. This data is necessary to provide veterinary services.
• Financial data: payment card details processed through our payment provider. We do not store full card numbers.
• Usage data: technical information such as your IP address, browser type, and pages visited on our website, collected via analytics cookies (where you have consented).
• Communications data: records of correspondence with us by phone, email, or contact form.

2. How we use your data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• To provide veterinary care and services to your animals.
• To manage your appointments and send appointment reminders.
• To process payments for services rendered.
• To send vaccination and health check reminders (you may opt out at any time).
• To respond to enquiries submitted via our website contact form or by telephone.
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including those imposed by the RCVS and the Veterinary Council of Ireland.
• To improve our website and services through aggregated, anonymised analytics.

Our legal basis for processing your data is primarily the performance of a contract (providing veterinary services), legitimate interests (appointment reminders, practice management), and compliance with legal obligations. Where we rely on consent (e.g., for marketing communications), you may withdraw consent at any time.

3. Who we share your data with

We do not sell your personal data. We may share it with:

• Referral practices and specialist vets when your pet requires specialist care — with your knowledge.
• Our practice management software provider for the purpose of storing clinical records securely.
• Payment processors who handle card transactions on our behalf.
• Regulatory bodies (RCVS, Veterinary Council of Ireland, Data Protection Commission) where legally required.
• Emergency services where disclosure is necessary to protect the vital interests of a person or animal.

All third parties we work with are required to handle your data securely and in accordance with Irish data protection law.

4. How long we keep your data

We retain clinical records for a minimum of seven years from the date of last treatment in accordance with RCVS guidance. Contact and financial records are retained for six years in accordance with Irish tax law. Website analytics data is retained for 26 months. After these periods, data is securely deleted or anonymised.

5. Your rights

Under Irish GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Right of access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure: request deletion of your data where there is no legal basis for its continued processing.
• Right to restrict processing: ask us to pause processing of your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability: receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to object: object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
• Rights related to automated decision-making: we do not make automated decisions with legal or significant effect about you.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@limerickvetclinic.ie. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (dataprotection.ie).

6. Cookies

Our website uses essential cookies required for it to function correctly. We may also use analytics cookies to understand how visitors use our site. You will be asked for consent before any non-essential cookies are set. You can manage your cookie preferences at any time through your browser settings.

7. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect any changes. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

8. Contact us

For any questions or concerns about how we handle your personal data, please contact: