Who this policy covers
This policy applies to personal information collected through the Heartland Dachshunds website, its contact form, and its puppy application. Heartland Dachshunds of Mount Vernon, Illinois controls that information. It does not cover information collected independently by an outside website after you follow a link away from this site.
Information Heartland collects
When you use the contact form, Heartland may collect your name, email address, phone number, and message.
When you submit a puppy application, Heartland may also collect your mailing address, information about your home and current pets, puppy preferences, breeding interest, and any comments you choose to provide.
If an application is approved, Heartland may create private records showing the selected dog, agreed price, deposit amount and status, balance, contract status, and pickup arrangements. This website is not designed to collect or store complete payment-card numbers, bank-account credentials, Social Security numbers, or government identification numbers. Please do not place that information in a public form or comments box.
The website briefly uses a protected version of your internet address to limit repeated or automated form submissions. Hostinger may also keep standard server logs, such as an internet address, browser information, requested pages, and the time of a request, according to its own operating and security practices.
How the information is used
Heartland uses personal information to:
- Answer questions and communicate with you.
- Review a puppy application and understand whether a dachshund may fit your home.
- Create private family, reservation, contract, payment, pickup, and placement records when an application is approved.
- Provide ongoing support connected to a Heartland dog.
- Protect the website, prevent spam, resolve disputes, and meet reasonable business or legal obligations.
Where information is stored and who can access it
This website uses self-hosted WordPress software and is hosted by Hostinger. Form submissions are stored as private records in the website database. Hostinger processes website and server information as the hosting provider. Google/Gmail or another configured email provider may process contact information and message content when Heartland sends, receives, or stores email.
Private applications, messages, family records, addresses, payment amounts and status, contracts, and breeder notes are limited to Reba and trusted administrators or Heartland managers who need the information to operate the business or support the website.
Heartland does not sell, rent, or use personal information for targeted advertising. Information may be disclosed to a service provider that helps operate the website or email system, to a professional adviser when reasonably necessary, when required by law, or when reasonably necessary to protect Heartland, its customers, or its animals. Service providers receive only the information reasonably needed for their role.
How long information is kept
Heartland keeps personal information only while it has a reasonable business, animal-welfare, contractual, tax, recordkeeping, dispute-resolution, or legal need for it. Contact messages and applications that do not lead to an adoption are scheduled for review and deletion no later than two years after the last communication or final decision.
Records connected to an approved family, reservation, contract, payment, or completed placement are scheduled for review after seven years from the last transaction or support activity. A limited record may be kept longer when reasonably needed to honor a guarantee, maintain a dog’s health, breeding, or ownership history, resolve a dispute, prevent fraud, or meet a legal obligation. Information may be deleted or de-identified sooner when it is no longer needed.
Short-lived anti-spam information is normally kept for about one minute. Copies may remain temporarily in routine backups until those backups are overwritten. Hostinger and email providers control the retention periods for their own server, security, and email records.
Your choices and requests
You may ask Heartland to confirm whether your information is stored, provide a copy, correct inaccurate information, or delete information that is no longer needed. Heartland may reasonably verify the requester’s identity before disclosing, changing, or deleting a private record. Some records may be retained when there is an ongoing business, contractual, animal-welfare, fraud-prevention, tax, safety, or legal reason to keep them.
The website and puppy application are intended for adults. A person under 18 should have a parent or legal guardian contact Heartland. Heartland does not knowingly collect personal information directly from a child under 13. If a parent or guardian believes a child submitted personal information, contact Heartland so it can be reviewed and deleted when appropriate.
How information is protected
Heartland uses HTTPS, private WordPress records, restricted administrative access, and reasonable hosting and account safeguards to protect submitted information. No internet or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure. If Heartland discovers a security breach requiring notice, it will notify affected people and government authorities as required by applicable law.
Changes to this policy
Heartland may update this policy when its forms, providers, retention practices, or legal obligations change. The “Last updated” date identifies the current version. Material changes will apply prospectively and will be presented on this page before or when the changed practice begins.
Questions or requests
Contact Heartland
Email rjmandrell@gmail.com or call/text (618) 231-1906. Heartland Dachshunds is located in Mount Vernon, Illinois; the private street address is shared only when needed.