Privacy Policy – WILDLIFE RESCUE OF EAST TENNESSEE

Introduction and Our Commitment to Your Privacy

The Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee (WRET, “we,” “us,” or “our”) is fundamentally committed to the welfare of native wildlife and, just as importantly, to the protection of the personal information entrusted to us by our donors, volunteers, callers, and supporters. This comprehensive Privacy Policy outlines the specific types of information we collect, how that information is used exclusively to further our mission of rescue, rehabilitation, and public education, and the stringent measures we take to safeguard your data. We operate as a critical, 24/7 service, and while the urgency of our work sometimes requires the rapid collection and sharing of necessary contact and location details to save an animal’s life, we uphold the highest ethical standards regarding the privacy of all individuals who interact with us. Our commitment is two-fold: to save wildlife while diligently protecting the identity and confidentiality of the community members who make our work possible. This policy applies to all forms of information we collect, whether through our website, emergency hotline, fundraising activities, educational outreach programs, or through physical forms and correspondence related to our operations at 3407 MEMORIAL BLVD, KINGSPORT, TN 37664. By engaging with WRET, you acknowledge and agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy, understanding that certain information is absolutely vital for the successful coordination of our time-sensitive rescue operations.

1. The Information We Collect

To effectively fulfill our mission and manage the complex logistics of a 24/7 wildlife rescue operation, WRET collects various types of information. The necessity of this collection is always directly tied to the specific service or interaction you have with us, ensuring we only gather data that is relevant and proportional to the task at hand. We segment the data we collect into several categories to provide clarity regarding its purpose, from basic identifying information required for communications to critical geographical data necessary for immediate dispatch of a rescue team. We are mindful that collecting too much information can be invasive, and collecting too little information can prevent us from saving a life or processing a vital donation. Therefore, our data collection practices are carefully balanced to maximize operational efficiency and minimize privacy intrusion, ensuring that your trust in our organizational integrity is maintained at every stage of your engagement with the Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee.

1.1 Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Personally Identifiable Information, or PII, is data that can be used to specifically identify or contact you. We primarily collect PII through website forms, emergency calls, volunteer applications, and donation receipts. This information includes your full name, physical mailing address, email address, and telephone number, all of which are essential for several core functions of the organization. For those applying to be long-term volunteers or staff, PII may extend to include professional history, references, and relevant licensing information required to meet state and federal compliance standards for handling and rehabilitating native wildlife. This data is not just stored; it is actively used to facilitate communication, process transactions, provide tax receipts, and ensure we can properly track the impact of our community support, forming the foundation of our ongoing relationship with every individual who chooses to support or utilize our critical services in East Tennessee.

1.2 Emergency and Rescue Coordination Data

Given the life-saving and time-critical nature of our work, we collect a specialized category of data during emergency hotline calls that is vital for prompt and effective rescue coordination. This critical information includes the exact physical location or GPS coordinates of the distressed animal, a detailed description of the animal’s condition and visible injuries, and any relevant environmental hazards present at the scene. Furthermore, to coordinate the rapid and safe transport of the animal, we collect the caller’s immediate contact number, which may be different from the primary PII we hold on file, ensuring immediate dispatch and communication between the caller, the emergency coordinator, and the dispatched volunteer transport team. This specific set of data is treated with the utmost urgency and is handled under strict protocol, as its accuracy directly impacts the speed of our response, the safety of our personnel, and the survival prognosis for the animal awaiting assistance in the field. This data is time-bound and, while recorded in the animal’s case file, is used strictly for operational purposes.

1.3 Financial and Transactional Data

When you choose to support the Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee through a monetary donation, we collect necessary financial and transactional data to securely process your contribution and provide appropriate accountability and receipts. This data includes the donation amount, the date and time of the transaction, and, if provided for payment processing, your credit card details (card number, expiration date, security code) or bank account information. It is crucial to understand that WRET does not store sensitive credit card numbers on our internal servers; all such information is securely processed by industry-leading, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant third-party payment gateways, who specialize in highly encrypted digital transaction management. We only retain the necessary details required for tax receipts and donor record-keeping, such as your name, contact information, the amount donated, and a unique transaction ID provided by the payment processor. This rigorous separation of data responsibility ensures that your financial security is handled by experts, while our organization focuses on acknowledging your generosity and applying your funds directly to the critical needs of our animal patients.

1.4 Non-Personal and Technical Usage Data

As is common practice for most organizations operating a modern website and digital infrastructure, WRET automatically collects non-personal and technical usage data when you visit our website or interact with our digital communications. This information, which cannot directly identify you, includes your Internet Protocol (IP) address, which provides a general geographical location, the type of internet browser you are using (e.g., Chrome, Safari, Firefox), the operating system of your device, the pages you view on our site, the time spent on those pages, and the websites you visited immediately before and after ours. This data is collected passively through standard server logs, web beacons, and cookies, and its sole purpose is to help us analyze website traffic, identify popular content, diagnose technical issues, and continuously improve the overall user experience and performance of our digital platforms. Analyzing this aggregated, de-identified technical data allows our digital team to optimize the site’s design and functionality, making it easier for users to find our emergency information, access educational resources, and complete the donation process efficiently.

2. How We Collect Your Information

Our information collection methods are designed to be efficient, secure, and respectful of your interaction preferences, whether that interaction is in a moment of crisis or a routine voluntary contribution.

2.1 Direct Interactions

The most common way we acquire PII and emergency data is through direct interaction with you. This occurs when you call our 24/7 hotline to report an animal emergency, when you submit an online form to volunteer, when you register for an educational event, or when you explicitly sign up for our e-newsletter. In all these instances, you are consciously and voluntarily providing the information directly to a WRET staff member or through a controlled online submission portal. For emergency calls, the data is collected verbally and immediately transcribed into our case management system. For volunteers, the collection often involves paper forms or secure digital applications requiring signatures and explicit consent. This direct collection method ensures transparency; you know exactly what information you are sharing and for what explicit, stated purpose it is being collected by the organization.

2.2 Third-Party Service Providers and Payment Processors

We utilize highly reputable and industry-specific third-party service providers to handle specialized functions that require expert security and compliance. As mentioned, all financial and payment processing is handled by secure third-party gateways to maintain PCI DSS compliance, meaning that while you provide payment information on our platform, the actual sensitive data is handled and stored securely off-site by these specialized partners. Similarly, we use third-party Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to manage our donor records, volunteer databases, and fundraising communication lists. These providers are strictly prohibited from using your personal information for any purpose other than providing services explicitly contracted by WRET, and they are contractually required to maintain confidentiality and implement appropriate security measures at the same high standard we maintain internally.

2.3 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

The WRET website utilizes standard tracking technologies, including cookies, which are small text files placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. These cookies help us improve your browsing experience by remembering your preferences, such as text size or display settings, and assist in collecting the technical usage data described in Section 1.4. We use both session cookies, which disappear after you close your browser, and persistent cookies, which remain on your device for a set period. We also employ Google Analytics, a widely used web analysis service, to gain insights into website traffic and user behavior. Google Analytics collects information such as how often users visit our site, what pages they visit when they do so, and what other sites they used prior to coming to us. This information is used in an aggregated, anonymous form for analytical purposes only, helping us understand how our community interacts with our digital resources. You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer, though this may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website’s functionality.

3. How We Use Your Information

Every piece of information collected by the Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee is used with a defined purpose that directly supports the operational, financial, or educational functions of our non-profit mission. We do not sell your personal data to any third parties under any circumstances. The primary uses of your information fall into two main categories: immediate, critical operational needs, and long-term community engagement and sustainability.

3.1 Use for Critical Rescue and Operational Coordination

The information collected during an emergency call (including location, caller contact details, and animal status) is used immediately and exclusively for the primary purpose of coordinating the fastest, safest, and most effective rescue and rehabilitation response. This involves sharing the geographical coordinates and situation details with the dispatched volunteer transport team and our on-call veterinary staff to ensure they are fully prepared for the animal’s intake and subsequent medical triage. Your name and phone number are used to provide follow-up communication regarding the animal’s status after intake and, upon written request and legal compliance, may be used to inform you of the animal’s ultimate release. This operational use is non-negotiable and time-sensitive; without this information, our 24/7 response would be significantly hindered, potentially compromising the animal’s prognosis. Post-rehabilitation, this data is anonymized and archived within the animal’s case file for historical record and internal research into injury patterns and geographical hot spots for conflict.

3.2 Use for Communications, Fundraising, and Outreach

Your PII, particularly your email and mailing address, is essential for maintaining a meaningful and sustainable relationship with you as a supporter of WRET. We use this information to send you regular updates about our rescue success stories, our educational initiatives, upcoming workshops, and event announcements. Furthermore, as a non-profit organization that relies heavily on community generosity, we use PII to facilitate our fundraising efforts, which includes sending annual appeal letters, thank you notes acknowledging your donations, and issuing tax receipts required for financial compliance. We also use your data internally to analyze giving patterns and donor engagement, allowing us to tailor our communications to topics we believe will be of genuine interest to you, ensuring our appeals are relevant and effective. You always retain the right to opt-out of these communications, which is a right we immediately honor upon request, although we hope you continue to follow our mission.

4. Disclosure and Sharing of Your Information

The Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee operates under a strict principle: we only disclose your personal information when it is absolutely necessary to carry out our life-saving mission or when legally required to do so. Disclosure is always highly controlled and limited to the minimum amount of data required for the specific task at hand.

4.1 Disclosure for Operational and Legal Necessity

To execute a successful rescue, we must, at times, share limited information with external partners. This operational necessity may require us to share your location and contact number with an authorized volunteer transport team or another licensed, collaborating veterinary clinic to coordinate immediate patient transfer or advanced treatment beyond our internal capabilities. In situations involving public safety, animal cruelty investigations, or compliance with environmental protection regulations, we are obligated to cooperate with and disclose relevant information to local law enforcement, animal control agencies, and governmental wildlife management authorities. Furthermore, we may disclose your information if we are legally required to do so by court order, subpoena, or applicable law, or if we believe in good faith that such action is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of WRET, our staff, or the public.

4.2 Disclosure to Third-Party Service Providers

We utilize a select group of trusted third-party service providers to handle functions such as secure payment processing, mass mailing services for appeal letters, email distribution software, and cloud-based data storage. These providers are acting strictly on our behalf as data processors, and they are only granted access to the minimum amount of personal information required to perform their specific service. We require all such third-party partners to enter into strict contractual agreements that mandate the protection and confidentiality of your data, adherence to our privacy standards, and explicit prohibition against using your personal information for any purpose other than providing the contracted service to the Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee. We conduct regular due diligence to ensure these partners maintain high-level security and compliance standards, reflecting our commitment to security even when data processing is outsourced.

5. Data Security and Protection Measures

The security of your personal information is a non-negotiable priority for WRET, and we implement a robust combination of physical, technical, and administrative safeguards designed to protect the data we collect from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. All digital data transmission, including the submission of online forms and financial transactions, is protected using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology, creating a secure tunnel between your browser and our servers to prevent interception during transit. Internally, access to PII and sensitive case files is strictly limited to employees and authorized volunteers who require the information to perform their specific job duties, enforced through rigorous role-based access controls and unique user credentials. Our physical premises at 3407 MEMORIAL BLVD are secured to protect hard copy records and facility servers. Furthermore, all WRET staff and long-term volunteers undergo mandatory, regular training on data privacy protocols, ethical data handling, and the recognition and reporting of potential security risks, fostering a culture of vigilance and responsibility across the entire organization to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of all personal data under our stewardship.

6. Data Retention Policies

WRET retains personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected, to satisfy any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements, or to maintain a historical record necessary for the continuity of our wildlife case files. The specific retention period varies depending on the type of data and its context. Financial donation records and associated PII are typically kept for a minimum of seven years to comply with federal and state tax and audit regulations. Emergency and rescue coordination data, which forms a vital part of the animal’s permanent case file, is retained indefinitely, but is anonymized and aggregated to protect the caller’s identity while preserving essential research data regarding location, injury type, and outcome. General communication PII (like newsletter subscriptions) is kept until the user explicitly requests to unsubscribe or opt-out, at which point the contact record is permanently suppressed from all future outreach efforts. We have established protocols for the secure, permanent destruction or anonymization of data that is no longer required, ensuring that sensitive information is responsibly disposed of when its operational or legal retention period has expired.

7. Your Rights Regarding Your Personal Data

Depending on your jurisdiction and applicable data protection laws, you may have specific rights regarding the personal information WRET holds about you. We are committed to honoring these rights with transparency and expediency. You have the Right to Access, meaning you can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you, subject to verifying your identity. You have the Right to Correction or Rectification, allowing you to request that any incomplete or inaccurate data we hold about you be updated or corrected immediately. Crucially, you maintain the Right to Opt-Out or Withdraw Consent, meaning you can unsubscribe from our email lists or request to be removed from our mailing lists for fundraising appeals at any time, which we will process immediately and permanently. You may also have a Right to Erasure (often called the ‘right to be forgotten’), which allows you to request the deletion of your personal data when there is no longer a compelling operational or legal reason for its retention, a request we will honor subject to our legal and regulatory obligations, particularly those concerning financial reporting and historical case file preservation. To exercise any of these rights, please contact our designated Privacy Contact using the details provided in the final section of this policy, providing sufficient detail to verify your identity and clearly state the nature of your request.

8. Children’s Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

The Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee’s website and services are intended for a general audience and are not specifically targeted at children under the age of thirteen (13). We are committed to complying with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). We do not knowingly collect Personally Identifiable Information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. If we become aware that we have inadvertently received personal data from a child under 13 without appropriate parental consent, we will take immediate steps to delete that information from our records. For any child under 18 wishing to volunteer or participate in formal, unsupervised educational programs, we require mandatory written consent and contact information from a parent or legal guardian to ensure compliance and the safety of the minor. If a parent or guardian believes that WRET has collected PII from a child under 13, or if you have concerns regarding a minor’s participation in our programs, please contact us immediately using the dedicated privacy contact information provided below so we can promptly address the issue and ensure compliance with all applicable laws.

9. Third-Party Links and External Websites

Our website and digital communications may contain links to external, third-party websites, such as those of our community partners, grant providers, research institutions, or related conservation organizations. WRET has no control over the content, privacy practices, or data security measures of these external sites. Once you click on a link that redirects you away from the WRET domain, you are subject to that third-party website’s own privacy policy and practices, which may differ significantly from ours. We strongly encourage all users to exercise caution and thoroughly review the privacy policies of any external website before providing any personal information or engaging in any transactional activity. WRET accepts no responsibility or liability for the privacy practices of any third-party websites linked from our platform, and the inclusion of a link does not imply endorsement of the content or the practices of that external site.

10. Changes and Updates to This Privacy Policy

WRET reserves the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our operational practices, our data collection methods, technological advancements, or relevant legal and regulatory requirements. Any revisions to this policy will be posted on this page, and we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of the policy document to alert our users of the change. For significant, material changes that affect how we use your Personally Identifiable Information in ways not previously described, we will endeavor to provide more prominent notice, such as through an announcement on our website homepage or by sending an email notification to affected users, where appropriate and feasible. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how WRET is protecting your information and how we are continuously adapting our practices to maintain the highest standards of data security and privacy compliance in the execution of our vital wildlife rescue mission. Your continued use of our services or engagement with our organization after the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms of the policy.

11. Conclusion and Contact for Privacy Concerns

The mission of the Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee is to provide expert care for every animal in distress, and in doing so, we are equally dedicated to providing transparent and secure management of your personal information. Your trust is the foundation of our work, enabling us to sustain our 24/7 rescue operations and critical rehabilitation programs. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, our data handling practices, or if you wish to exercise any of your rights outlined in Section 7 (including access, correction, or opting out of communications), please contact our dedicated Privacy Contact directly. We take all privacy-related inquiries seriously and commit to investigating and responding to your concerns promptly and thoroughly, in full compliance with applicable regulations and our internal ethical standards.

Dedicated Privacy Contact Information:

Attention: Privacy Compliance Officer Organization: Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee (WRET) Mailing Address: 3407 MEMORIAL BLVD, KINGSPORT, TN 37664 General Inquiry Email: info@wlret.site

Thank you for partnering with WRET and for your understanding of the necessity of these protocols as we work together to protect and preserve East Tennessee’s native wildlife.