Effective Date: 1 September 2025

1. Who We Are

WSAVA is a global membership association dedicated to advancing the health and welfare of companion animals worldwide through an educated, committed, and collaborative global veterinary community.

Our headquarters is located at:

77 King Street West, Suite 3720 Toronto, Ontario Canada

For any privacy-related inquiries, please contact our Privacy Officer at: privacy@wsava.org

2. How We Collect Personal Information

We collect personal data directly from you and through your interactions with us, including:

• When you register for WSAVA membership
• When you sign up for events, webinars or training
• When you subscribe to newsletters or publications
• When you participate in surveys or committees
• When you contact us for support or information
• Through cookies and similar technologies on our website

3. What Personal Information We Collect

The types of personal data we may collect include:

• Full name and title
• Contact details (email address, phone number, mailing address)
• Professional information (job title, organization, and limited educational credentials)
• Payment and billing information (for event registration or membership fees)
• Preferences and interests related to veterinary medicine
• IP address and browsing behavior (via cookies)

4. How We Use Your Personal Information

We use your personal data to:

• Provide membership services and benefits
• Manage and organize conferences, events, and training
• Communicate with you about WSAVA activities, updates, and opportunities
• Process payments and manage registrations
• Conduct surveys and research to improve our services
• Comply with applicable obligations and internal policies

5. Sharing of Personal Information

We may share your personal data with trusted third-party service providers who support our operations. These include:

• Event and conference organizers
• Training and educational service providers
• Payment processors
• IT and communication service providers
• Public authorities, when required to do so by law or in response to lawful requests, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements.

All third parties are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the purposes specified by WSAVA.

6. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data based on one or more lawful bases, depending on the context in which the data is collected and used. These may include the necessity to provide services you have requested, your consent, our legitimate interests in operating and improving our services, or compliance with legal obligations. We ensure that our processing activities are fair, transparent, and aligned with all legal and your expectations.

7. International Data Transfers

As a global organization, WSAVA may transfer your personal data across borders to countries that may not have the same data protection standards as your home country. We ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data as a result of such transfers.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this notice, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by applicable policies or practices.

9. Data Security

We implement robust technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include encryption, access controls, and regular security assessments.

10. Your Rights

You may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access – Request access to the personal data we hold about you
• Correction – Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Deletion – Request deletion of your personal data under certain conditions
• Restriction – Request restriction of processing under certain conditions
• Objection – Object to certain types of processing
• Data Portability – Request transfer of your data to another organization

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@wsava.org.

11. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, analyze usage, and deliver relevant content. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. For more information, please refer to our Cookie Policy at www.wsava.org/cookies.

12. Children’s Privacy

WSAVA does not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 16. If we become aware that such data has been collected, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

13. Updates to this Privacy Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or services. The most current version will always be available on our website, with the effective date clearly indicated. We encourage you to review it periodically.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Notice or your personal data, please contact:

WSAVA Privacy Officer via privacy@wsava.org

Conclusion

WSAVA is dedicated to maintaining the privacy and security of your personal data. We regularly review and update our privacy practices to ensure they meet the highest standards of transparency and accountability. Thank you for trusting WSAVA with your information.