Privacy Policy
How the Humane Society of Atchison handles information on this website. Effective September 21, 2026.
The short version
We only collect what you give us through the forms on this site, we use it to respond to you and to run the shelter, we never sell it, and you can ask us to delete it at any time.
What we collect
Information you send us. When you submit an adoption application, a volunteer or foster sign-up, or a contact message, we receive what you type: typically your name, email address, phone number, the pet you are asking about, and your message. Adoption applications may include details about your home and other pets.
Information collected automatically. Our hosting provider records standard server logs (such as IP address, browser type, pages requested, and timestamps) to keep the site secure and running. We also use Google Analytics to count visits and see which pages and animals people look at, so we can make the site more useful. It reports totals, not people: we never see your name or contact details in it, and we do not use it to build a profile of you. Advertising features, including Google signals and ad personalization, are switched off. We do not use advertising trackers.
Spam protection. Form submissions pass through automated spam checks, including a rate limit by network address and timing checks. Messages the checks flag are held for staff review rather than emailed.
How we use it
- To answer your question, review your application, and arrange visits, fostering, or volunteering.
- To keep records of adoptions and placements as required for animal welfare.
- To send you a confirmation of what you submitted, when you provide an email address.
- To protect the site from abuse.
We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information.
Email lists you can join
If you sign up for our email lists (new-pet alerts, volunteer news, or foster requests), we will email you about those topics from adoptions@humanesocietyofatchison.org. You choose which lists to join, and only people who signed up receive them. Every email includes an unsubscribe link that removes you instantly, and you can also ask us to remove you at any time. We never share or sell the list.
Who else handles it
We use trusted service providers to run this site: Google Firebase for hosting, secure storage, and staff sign-in; SendGrid to deliver email; Google Maps for the embedded map and directions; and Google Analytics to measure visits. These providers process data on our behalf under their own privacy terms. Links to Facebook, Amazon, Chewy, and Google Calendar take you to those companies' sites, which have their own policies.
Cookies and local storage
This site does not set advertising cookies. Google Analytics sets first-party cookies (their names start with _ga) that tell one visit from another. If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control or Do Not Track signal, we do not load analytics at all, and you can also block it with the Google Analytics opt-out add-on. Beyond that, the site uses your browser's local storage only for conveniences you control: remembering that you unlocked the preview, remembering accessibility display preferences you set, and keeping staff signed in on the admin dashboard. Nothing in that storage is sent to us.
How long we keep it
Contact messages are kept until staff have handled them and then archived or deleted. Adoption and foster records are kept as long as needed for the animal's welfare history and any legal requirements.
Children
This site is meant for adults. Adoption, foster, and volunteer applications must be submitted by someone 18 or older.
Your choices
You can ask us what information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it. Email adoptions@humanesocietyofatchison.org or call (913) 367-3647.
Changes
If this policy changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this page.