Privacy Statement for Organization for the Spiritual Treatment of Animals (OSTA)
This Privacy Statement outlines how the Organization for the Spiritual Treatment of Animals (OSTA vzw/asbl), registered at 1000 Brussels, 30/21 Varkensmarkt / Rue du Marché aux Porcs (BE1007.369.942), processes personal data. OSTA respects your privacy and your rights to control your personal data. We process all data within Belgium and do not transfer data outside the country.
We take reasonable precautions to protect your data. Our computers are equipped with up-to-date antivirus software, and we use password protection for all devices and accounts handling personal data. We regularly update our software and systems to ensure security.
We may retain anonymized or aggregated data for longer periods to support long-term analysis of supporter trends and our organizational impact.
We retain your data as follows:
- Address details are retained for 3 years after last activity, unless you request earlier deletion
- Email addresses are kept until newsletter unsubscription or 3 years after last activity
- Phone numbers are retained for 3 years after last activity, unless you request earlier deletion
- Animal stories are retained for use in our services and newsletter, unless you request their deletion.
We implement a tiered approach to data retention, keeping basic contact information for longer periods while deleting more sensitive data earlier. We regularly review and update our data retention policy to ensure compliance with current privacy regulations and best practices for non-profit organizations. You can easily update your information or request deletion at any time through our website or by contacting us directly.
For minors under 16, we require parental consent before collecting any personal information. We store this consent along with the minor’s data and delete both when the minor reaches 16 or upon request.
OSTA collects personal identification information (name, postal address, email address, phone number) directly from you when you:
request involvement with OSTA online or via written documents Subscribe to the OSTA newsletter Sign an OSTA survey or petition Use OSTA’s contact form Participate in OSTA events, including festivals and promotional activities Process and manage sponsorships for high-level animal initiatives Provide animal first aid support, including legal, scientific, and policy advice Share animal stories with OSTA, either in person or online
We use your data for the following purposes:
E-mail communication regarding animal service or actions Sending the OSTA Newsletter (with opt-out option) Processing survey and petition responses Helping you write stories about your animals Including animal stories in our newsletter (with your consent)
OSTA stores your data at its office in Brussels. We retain your data as follows:
Address details are deleted upon request Email addresses are kept until newsletter unsubscription Phone numbers are deleted upon request Animal stories are retained for use in our services and newsletter, unless you request their deletion
You have the following rights regarding your personal data:
Right to access Right to rectification Right to erasure Right to restrict processing Right to data portability To exercise these rights, contact us at info@osta.be, call +32487/90.82.91, or write to OSTA, 30/21 Varkensmarkt - Rue du marché aux porcs - 1000 Brussels.
OSTA provides various services including consultancy, dog walking, healing activities and operates a webshop. We also collect and use animal stories as part of our promotional activities and services. For these services, we process personal data as follows:
Consultancy: Client information for expert advice Dog Walking: companion animal owner and animal information Healing Activities: Participant information, including health-related data Webshop: Customer data for order fulfillment Sponsorship Program: Sponsor information and details of supported initiatives Animal First Aid: Contact information and details of the support provided Animal Stories: Personal stories and contact information for story writing assistance and newsletter content For all services, OSTA commits to:
Collecting only necessary data Secure storage and limited retention No third-party sharing without consent or legal requirement Providing access, correction, and deletion rights
OSTA uses your personal information for marketing purposes only with your explicit consent, such as including your animal stories in our newsletter.
This privacy statement aims to provide a clear and comprehensive overview of OSTA’s data processing practices. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency in our data handling procedures.
In the event of a data breach that compromises the security, confidentiality, or integrity of your personal information, we will notify you promptly via email or through a prominent notice on our website. We will provide information about the nature of the breach, the types of data involved, and steps we are taking to address the situation and protect your information.
We review this Privacy Statement annually and may update it to reflect changes in our data practices or relevant laws. If we make significant changes, we will notify you via email or through a prominent notice on our website before the changes become effective. We encourage you to periodically review this statement to stay informed about how we protect your information.