PawMap: Alfie's Story
Last updated: February 13, 2026
Introduction
PawMap: Alfie's Story ("PawMap", "we", "our", or "the app") is a community-driven mobile application that helps dog owners discover pet-friendly places in Cluj, Romania. Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains what information the app collects, how it is used, and your choices regarding that information.
Information We Collect
Information You Provide
When you submit a new pet-friendly place through the app, we collect:
- Place name and description you enter
- Place type (e.g., park, cafe, restaurant)
- Map coordinates of the location you selected
These submissions are anonymous — we do not collect your name, email address, or any personal identifiers when you add a place.
When you report an issue with a place, we collect the description of the issue you provide along with the place details. This is also anonymous.
Information Collected Automatically
Crash reports: We use Firebase Crashlytics to collect crash and error data. This may include device model, operating system version, app version, and crash stack traces. This data is used solely to identify and fix bugs. Crashlytics does not collect personally identifiable information.
Network state: The app checks whether your device has an active internet connection to sync place data. No network traffic data is stored.
Information We Do NOT Collect
- Personal information (name, email, phone number, address)
- Location data from your device (the app does not request GPS/location permissions)
- Photos, contacts, or files from your device
- Advertising identifiers
- Payment or financial information
Third-Party Services
The app uses the following third-party services, each with their own privacy policies:
- Firebase Firestore & Firebase Storage (Google) — used to store and sync pet-friendly place data. Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
- Firebase Crashlytics (Google) — used to collect anonymous crash reports. Firebase Privacy Information: https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy
- Mapbox — used to display the interactive map. Mapbox may collect anonymous usage and telemetry data. Mapbox Privacy Policy: https://www.mapbox.com/legal/privacy
How We Use Information
We use the collected information to:
- Display pet-friendly places on the map for all users
- Review and verify user-submitted places
- Identify and fix app crashes and bugs
- Improve the overall app experience
We do not sell, share, or transfer your data to third parties for advertising or marketing purposes.
Data Retention
- Place submissions are stored in Firebase Firestore indefinitely as part of the community map database.
- Crash reports are retained by Firebase Crashlytics according to Google's standard retention policy (90 days).
- Visited place status is stored locally on your device and is not transmitted to any server.
Data Security
We take reasonable measures to protect the data stored in our services. Place data is transmitted over encrypted connections (HTTPS). However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure.
Children's Privacy
PawMap is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. Since the app does not collect personal information from any user, no special data handling for children is required.
Your Rights
Since we do not collect personal information or require user accounts, there is no personal data to access, modify, or delete. If you have submitted a place and would like it removed, please contact us.
Locally stored data (such as visited place status) can be cleared at any time by clearing the app's data or uninstalling it.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be reflected by updating the "Last updated" date at the top. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
Email: pawmapstory@gmail.com
Instagram: @pawmapstory (https://instagram.com/pawmapstory)