Privacy Notice
How we use the information you give us when you report a missing pet. Plain English.
Who we are
Laelaps is a service operated by Helix Stax, a company registered in England and Wales. We run the website at laelaps.co.uk and the missing-pet alert service described in this notice.
Data controller: Helix Stax
Contact: admin@helixstax.com
We do not have a designated Data Protection Officer (DPO) because we are not required to appoint one under UK GDPR. The contact above is the right place for any data-related questions.
What information we collect
When you submit the missing-pet report form, we collect:
- Your pet's details: type, name, breed, colour and markings, last-seen location, postcode, date and time lost
- A photo of your pet (optional, if you choose to upload one)
- Your contact details: name, email address, and phone number (phone is optional)
- A record of the consent you gave at the time of submission
- Technical data: the date and time of submission and a reference number
We do not collect financial information, government identity numbers, or sensitive personal data (as defined under UK GDPR Article 9).
Why we collect it and our lawful basis
We collect and use your information only to help find your missing pet and to keep you updated about the search. The lawful basis for processing your data is consent (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(a)).
You give this consent by ticking the consent checkbox on the form before submitting. Consent is freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous. You can withdraw it at any time (see "Your rights" below).
We do not use your information for marketing, do not sell it to third parties, and do not use it for any purpose other than finding your pet.
How we use your information
- We send your pet's details (not your personal contact information) to people in nearby postcodes so they can look out for your pet
- We use your email address to confirm receipt of your report and to keep you updated
- If you provided a phone number, we may use it to contact you if we have urgent news about your pet
- We keep a record of your consent as part of our legal obligations
Who we share your information with
We do not sell your data. We share only what is necessary:
- Email delivery: We use Postmark (operated by Wildbit LLC) to send alert emails. Postmark receives the submission details as part of sending the email. Postmark's privacy policy is at wildbit.com/privacy-policy.
- Hosting: The website is hosted on Cloudflare Pages. Cloudflare processes request data to serve the site. Cloudflare's privacy policy is at cloudflare.com/privacypolicy.
- Law enforcement: If we are required by law to share information (for example, by a court order), we will do so. We will tell you if we can legally do so.
We do not share your information with Facebook, lost-pet groups, or any other third parties beyond the above.
How long we keep your data
| Situation | Retention period |
|---|---|
| While we are actively helping find your pet | Data kept for the duration of the active search |
| After your pet is reunited with you | Deleted within 30 days of confirmation |
| If the search is unresolved after 6 months | Deleted at the 6-month mark unless you ask us to continue |
| If you ask us to delete your data | Deleted within 30 days of your request |
| Consent records | Kept for 3 years to meet our legal obligations, even if other data is deleted |
Your rights
Under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the following rights:
- Right to access: You can ask us for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to erasure: You can ask us to delete your data. We will do this within 30 days unless we have a legal obligation to keep it (such as consent records).
- Right to rectification: If any information we hold is wrong, you can ask us to correct it.
- Right to object: You can object to us processing your data at any time.
- Right to withdraw consent: Because our lawful basis is consent, you can withdraw it at any time. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of anything we did before you withdrew it. Once you withdraw, we will stop using your data and delete it within 30 days.
- Right to portability: You can ask us to give you your data in a machine-readable format.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at admin@helixstax.com. We will respond within one calendar month.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with how we have handled your data. The ICO can be contacted at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or by calling 0303 123 1113.
How we protect your data
All data in transit is encrypted using TLS (HTTPS). We limit access to submission data to the minimum number of people necessary to run the service. We do not store your submission data in a public location.
Cookies and tracking
This website uses Cloudflare Turnstile for spam prevention. Turnstile may set a cookie as part of its challenge process. We do not use analytics cookies, advertising cookies, or any tracking that follows you across other websites. We do not use Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel.
Changes to this notice
If we make changes to this notice, we will update the date below. If the changes significantly affect how we use your data, we will contact you using the email address you provided.
Last updated: 28 June 2026. Questions? Email admin@helixstax.com.