Privacy Policy

Privacy Notice

The Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA), trading as the National SPCA (NSPCA), relies on the generosity and support of individuals like you to carry out our vital work with animals. We are committed to protecting the personal information we process when you engage with us. This Privacy Notice explains why we may ask for your personal information, what we do with it, and your rights under data protection law.

This Privacy Notice covers all activities of the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) (Charity number CHY1047) and its charitable trading company, Dublin SPCA Animal Shelter Ltd (Company Number 262283), a wholly owned subsidiary of the DSPCA, all of whose profits go towards the running costs of the organisation.

For the purposes of this notice, references to “we”, “us” or “our” refer to the DSPCA trading as the National SPCA (NSPCA).

The Privacy Notice Covers

Information you give on these web pages, or associated services offered and accepted, is deemed to have been offered to the NSPCA. Linked websites are not covered by this statement. We ensure your data is kept secure by using up-to-date security features and procedures and we respect the privacy of all visitors to our website.

Data Collection & Purposes

Data Collected	Purpose	Legal Basis
Contact Details (name, email, phone, address)	To fulfil contractual obligations and provide services	Performance of contracts
Billing information and limited payment details	Processing donations, purchases and payments through secure third-party payment providers	Performance of contract / Legal obligation
Company Info, Contact Details	Corporate marketing strategies and campaigns	Legitimate interest
Personal details	For providing requested services	Performance of contracts
IP address, device info, user preferences	Operating and enhancing website	Legitimate interest
Contact Info	Marketing and promotion, including newsletters, campaigns, fundraising, volunteering, fostering, events and NSPCA updates	Consent and/or Legitimate interest
CCTV	For security and safety of staff, volunteers, visitors, and animal welfare	Legitimate interest
IP address, device info, aggregated data	Website security and maintenance	Legitimate interest
User feedback, analytics data	Continuous improvement of website and services	Legitimate interest
Donation history, Gift Aid/tax reclaim information	Processing donations, auditing, financial reporting and tax reclaim purposes	Legal obligation / Legitimate interest
Rescue and Cruelty Info	For documentation for government authorities and carrying out the mission of preventing animal cruelty	Public interest/Legal proceedings
Photographs and video footage	Promoting NSPCA activities, events, campaigns and community engagement	Consent / Legitimate interest
Correspondence and supporter interaction history	Managing supporter relationships, auditing and improving services	Legitimate interest
Emergency contact details	Health, safety and welfare at NSPCA events and activities	Legitimate interest
Adoption and animal welfare follow-up information	Supporting adopters and ensuring animal welfare post-adoption	Legitimate interest

Data Collection Methods

The data the NSPCA collects is primarily given to us by you, with your consent. This information is obtained by accessing our website, attending events, using our services, or communicating and subscribing to us.

Other methods are through the use of cookies and technology during website visits, ad views, and email interactions. Also, interactions on social media platforms may contribute relevant information.

Data Retention

The NSPCA will only retain your personal data for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for. Extended retention may occur in the event of a complaint or anticipated litigation. When the need to retain data is no longer justified by legal, commercial, or client account management requirements, or if you’ve chosen to modify or erase your data, the NSPCA will securely delete it.

Third-Party Service Providers

The NSPCA may use trusted third-party service providers to support our operations, including payment processing, fundraising, email communications, customer relationship management, analytics and website functionality.

These providers may process personal data on our behalf and are required to handle your information securely and in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

Examples of third-party providers we may use include:

Payment processors such as Stripe and Fundraise Up
Email communication platforms such as Mailchimp
Customer relationship management and analytics systems such as Salesforce

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

Security Measures

As a data controller, the NSPCA employs robust security measures, including but not limited to:

Storing information on secure servers
Ensuring secure access to our premises and IT platforms

Data Breach

The NSPCA prioritises the safekeeping of your data. In the event of a data breach that may compromise the security of your data, the NSPCA has implemented measures to promptly address and notify you as required by applicable laws.

If the breach poses a risk to your rights, the NSPCA will adhere to the regulatory timeframe, promptly notifying the Data Protection Commission within 72 hours. For significant breaches impacting you, the NSPCA is committed to transparently communicating details of the breach and recommending steps for resolution.

Your Data Rights

The right to access (Article 15)
You have the right to request the NSPCA for copies of your personal data. This request may incur a small fee for administration and processing needs.
The right to rectification (Articles 16 & 19)
If you believe your data is inaccurate and/or incomplete, you have the right to request the NSPCA to rectify the data without undue delay.
The right to erasure (Articles 17 & 19)
Under certain circumstances, you have the right to have your data erased without undue delay by the NSPCA.
The right to restrict processing (Article 18)
Under certain circumstances, you have the right to restrict the NSPCA from processing your data.
The right to object to processing (Article 21)
Under certain circumstances, you have the right to object to the NSPCA processing your data.
The right to data portability (Article 20)
Under some circumstances you have the right to request that the NSPCA transfer your data in a structured and machine-readable form to another organisation.
The right to lodge a complaint
You have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant Supervisory Authority, however, it is encouraged to contact the NSPCA initially. Contact information for the Data Protection Commission can be found below.

Privacy policies of other websites

The NSPCA website contains links to external websites. Our privacy policy only applies to our website. If you click on a link to another website, please read their privacy policy.

Child Privacy

The NSPCA’s services are intended for individuals aged 18 years and over. We do not knowingly request or collect personal information from any person under the age of 16. Children under 16 should not provide personal information to the NSPCA. If the NSPCA learns that they have collected personal information of a person under 16 years of age, the NSPCA will act as required by applicable law.

Changes to our privacy policy

The NSPCA carries regular reviews of our privacy policy and places any updates to the policy on this page. This privacy policy was last updated on 13 May 2026.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about the NSPCA’s privacy notice, the data we store on you, and/or exercise one of your data protection rights, please contact us:

Email:
data.protection@nspca.ie

Call: +353 1 499 4700

Postal Address:
NSPCA Campus
Mount Venus Road
Rathfarnham
D16 F9C4
Ireland

Supervisory Authority

The NSPCA’s supervisory authority is the Data Protection Commission. If the NSPCA was not able to address your concerns, you have the right to share your feedback with the Data Protection Commission.
Postal Address:
Data Protection Commission
21 Fitzwilliam Square South
Dublin 2
D02 RD28
Ireland

Contact the Data Protection Commission (DPC)

The NSPCA is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data with care, transparency and respect.