What is the Canine Thermal Model?

PawsOut is built on the Canine Thermal Model (CTM) — a scientific tool created by researchers to predict a dog's body temperature. It's like a virtual version of your dog that reacts to real weather conditions, not just a forecast.

When is it safe to walk my dog?

Safety depends on air temperature, pavement temperature, humidity, sun exposure, and your dog's breed. PawsOut calculates personalized recommendations based on all these factors.

Why does PawsOut ask about shade and ground type?

Shade and surface dramatically affect paw safety and core body temperature. In direct sun, pavement can get 20-30°C hotter than air temperature. A walk on shaded grass is much safer than the same temperature on sun-baked concrete.

Your dog profiles, photos, and preferences are stored locally on your device only — they never leave your phone. Location data is used only in real-time to fetch accurate weather.

PawsOut is completely free. There are no subscription fees, premium features, or in-app purchases.

Privacy Policy | PawsOut

Last Updated: July 28, 2026

Introduction

PawsOut ("we," "us," "our," or "Company") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and otherwise handle your information when you use our mobile application PawsOut (the "App").

Please read this privacy policy carefully. By using PawsOut, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by all the terms of this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

Location Data

Precise Location: We collect your GPS coordinates to provide dog-friendly weather information and safety calculations specific to your area.
How It's Used: Your location is used to fetch real-time weather data and calculate paw temperature safety estimates. Location data is NOT stored on our servers; it's only used to fetch current weather information.

Dog Profile Information

When you add a dog to the app, we collect:

Dog's name
Dog's photo (stored locally on your device)
Dog's breed
Dog's size (Small, Medium, Large)
Dog's age
Dog's coat type (Short, Medium, Long)
Muzzle length

Preferences

Temperature unit preference (Celsius/Fahrenheit)
Time format preference (12h/24h)
Selected location overrides (if you manually set a location)
Shade type preferences
Surface/floor type preferences

Photo Library Access

We request access to your photo library so you can select a photo of your dog. Photos are stored locally on your device only. We do NOT upload photos to our servers.

Usage Data

We may collect analytics about how you use the app (feature usage, error reports) through Expo analytics. This helps us improve the app and fix bugs.

2. How We Use Your Information

Primary Purpose

To provide personalized paw temperature safety calculations based on:

Real-time weather at your location
Your dog's breed, size, and coat characteristics
Your selected walking conditions

Secondary Purposes

To improve app functionality and user experience
To fix bugs and provide technical support
To send important notifications about app updates

We do NOT:

Sell or share your personal data with third parties
Use your data for marketing or advertising
Store your location history
Combine data across multiple users

3. How Your Data Is Stored

Local Storage (On Your Device)

All of the following is stored ONLY on your device using local device storage:

Dog profiles (name, breed, size, age, coat type)
Dog photos
Your preferences (units, time format, etc.)
Your saved locations

Your data is NOT automatically backed up to the cloud. If you uninstall the app or reset your device, this data will be lost unless you've backed it up separately.

Server-Side Storage

We do NOT store personal data on our servers. Your location is only used in real-time to fetch weather data; it is not stored or logged.

Data Deletion

You can delete all data by:

Opening Settings in the app
Tapping Delete Data
Confirming the deletion

This permanently removes all dog profiles, photos, and preferences from your device.

4. Third-Party Services

PawsOut uses the following third-party services:

Open-Meteo API

Purpose: Provides weather data and historical temperature information
Data Shared: Your GPS coordinates (latitude/longitude)
Privacy Policy: Open-Meteo Privacy Policy

Native Device Location Services

Purpose: Provides location identification, geocoding, and map services through your device's native framework (Apple Location Services on iOS / Google Location Services on Android).
Data Shared: Your GPS coordinates
Privacy Policy: Apple Privacy Policy / Google Privacy Policy

Expo

Purpose: App analytics and crash reporting
Data Shared: App usage analytics (non-personal)
Privacy Policy: Expo Privacy Policy

5. Data Security

We take data security seriously:

All connections to third-party services use HTTPS encryption.
Your data is stored locally on your device with the protection mechanisms your device provides.
We do NOT store sensitive data on remote servers.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we use industry-standard security measures, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Children's Privacy

PawsOut is not intended for children under 13 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that a child under 13 has provided us personal information, we will delete such information promptly.

7. Your Rights

Access Your Data: You can view all data we hold about you by opening the app and reviewing your dog profiles and preferences.
Delete Your Data: You can delete all data at any time through the app's Settings > Delete Data feature.
Data Portability: You can export information about your dog by taking screenshots or notes within the app.

8. Location Permission Levels

"While Using the App": We access your location only when the app is actively in use. Best for general dog-friendly weather checking.
"Always": We may access your location even when the app is not actively in use. This allows for background weather monitoring and alerts.

You can change this setting at any time in your device's Settings > Privacy > Location.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of material changes by updating the "Last Updated" date and, when appropriate, by providing additional notice (such as adding a statement to the app or sending you a notification).

Your continued use of PawsOut after such modifications constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

10. Data Retention

While Using the App: Data is stored on your device as long as the app is installed.
After Uninstalling: All data is permanently deleted from your device.
Server-Side: We do not retain location or personal data on our servers.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at:

Email: arielkotch@outlook.com

We will respond to privacy inquiries within 30 days.

12. Applicable Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Israel, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Acknowledgment

By using PawsOut, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms and conditions.