Friends of the Animal Community ("FOAC," "we," "us," or "our") is a nonprofit animal rescue organization serving Tuolumne County and surrounding areas. We respect the privacy of adopters, donors, volunteers, foster families, supporters, and website visitors.
This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through the FOAC website and the online forms and services made available through it. It does not replace the privacy policies of third-party services that operate their own websites or platforms.
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Information we collect
Information you provide
Depending on how you interact with FOAC, we may collect:
- Name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and preferred contact method.
- Questions, messages, and the reason you are contacting FOAC.
- Adoption application information, including the animal you are interested in, household and housing information, landlord contact information, current pets, veterinary information, additional adopter information, initials, confirmations, and government-issued identification information requested by the application.
- Foster or volunteer information, including your interests, experience, availability, household details, and information submitted through FOAC’s Docusign volunteer application.
- Donation details that PayPal makes available to FOAC, such as donor name, contact information, donation amount, date, and transaction or receipt information. FOAC does not directly collect or store your complete payment-card or bank-account credentials through this website.
- Any other information you choose to provide to FOAC online, by email, by phone, or in person.
Information collected automatically
When you visit the website, Wix and integrated services may automatically receive technical information such as your Internet Protocol address, browser type, device information, pages viewed, approximate location derived from your IP address, referring page, interaction information, and cookie or similar-technology identifiers.
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How we use information
FOAC may use information to:
- Respond to questions and provide requested information.
- Review and administer adoption, foster, and volunteer applications.
- Evaluate potential placements and verify application information where permitted.
- Coordinate meetings, follow-up conversations, animal care, events, and other FOAC activities.
- Process and acknowledge donations, maintain financial and tax records, and provide receipts.
- Operate, maintain, secure, troubleshoot, and improve the website and its forms.
- Prevent fraud, protect people and animals, enforce FOAC policies, and comply with legal obligations.
- Maintain appropriate organizational, animal-placement, and communication records.
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How we share information
FOAC does not sell or rent personal information. We may share information only as reasonably necessary:
- With FOAC volunteers, staff, officers, directors, foster coordinators, adoption coordinators, and other authorized representatives who need the information to perform FOAC work.
- With service providers that host the website, process forms, process donations, provide electronic signatures, support animal listings, deliver embedded content, or otherwise help FOAC operate.
- With veterinarians, landlords, references, shelters, rescue partners, foster families, or others involved in an application or placement, when authorized or reasonably necessary to evaluate or complete the requested process.
- When required by law, legal process, or a lawful government request.
- When reasonably necessary to protect the rights, safety, or property of FOAC, an animal, an applicant, a website visitor, or another person.
- With your direction or consent.
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Third-party services and external links
The website uses or links to services operated by other organizations. Those organizations may collect information directly from you and process it under their own privacy policies.
Social media
Links to FOAC’s Instagram, Facebook, and X accounts lead to services operated by those platforms.
FOAC is not responsible for the privacy, security, or content practices of third-party websites and services. Review their policies before providing information directly to them.
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Cookies and similar technologies
Wix and third-party integrations may use cookies, pixels, local storage, or similar technologies to provide essential website functions, maintain security, prevent fraud, remember settings, understand site performance, and deliver embedded services.
Where required, FOAC will provide cookie choices through a website consent tool. You may also manage cookies through your browser settings, although disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.
FOAC does not use personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising and does not sell or share personal information for that purpose. The website does not currently change its behavior in response to browser “Do Not Track” signals. If a legally recognized opt-out preference signal applies to FOAC or one of its service providers, it will be handled as required by applicable law.
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Data retention
FOAC retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including administering applications and placements, responding to inquiries, maintaining animal-care and organizational records, meeting financial or tax requirements, resolving disputes, protecting safety, and complying with legal obligations.
Retention periods may vary based on the type of record and FOAC’s operational, safety, financial, and legal needs. FOAC may retain adoption and animal-placement records for a longer period when they are needed to support the animal, adopter, or placement history.
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Information security
FOAC uses reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information it maintains. FOAC also relies on established service providers, including Wix, PayPal, and Docusign, for important website, payment, and form-processing functions.
No website, transmission method, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Please do not send highly sensitive information through a general contact form or ordinary email unless FOAC specifically requests it through an appropriate process.
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Your choices and privacy requests
You may contact FOAC to:
- Ask what personal information FOAC maintains about you.
- Request correction or deletion of information, subject to FOAC’s legal, safety, financial, and recordkeeping obligations.
- Withdraw consent for future optional communications.
- Ask a question or raise a concern about FOAC’s privacy practices.
FOAC may need to verify your identity before completing a request. Privacy rights vary by jurisdiction, and FOAC will respond as required by applicable law.
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Children’s privacy
The website is intended for a general audience and is not designed to collect personal information directly from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 submitted personal information without appropriate parental or guardian involvement, contact FOAC so the information can be reviewed and, where appropriate, deleted.
If you are under 18 and want to volunteer, foster, adopt, or otherwise provide personal information to FOAC, ask a parent or legal guardian to participate in the process.
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Changes to this policy
FOAC may update this Privacy Policy as its website, services, or legal obligations change. The revised policy will be posted on this page with a new effective date. If a change materially affects how FOAC handles information already collected, FOAC will provide additional notice when appropriate.
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Contact FOAC
Questions, concerns, or privacy requests may be directed to:
Friends of the Animal Community
15107 Tuolumne Road
Sonora, CA 95370
Mailing address: PO Box 4627, Sonora, CA 95370
Email: info@foac.us
Phone: 209-533-3622