Portsmouth City Council ("the Council", "we", "us") is the data controller for the personal information described in this notice. We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) (Registration Number Z5578313).
This privacy notice explains how Portsmouth City Council collects, uses, shares, stores and protects personal information relating to kennel services, stray dogs and volunteer dog walking activities.
Who we are and how to contact us
Data Controller: Portsmouth City Council (Registration Number Z5578313)
Address: Civic Offices, Portsmouth, PO1 2AL
Data Protection Officer Email: DataProtection@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Telephone: 023 9282 2251
If you have questions about this notice or want to exercise your data protection rights, contact the Data Protection Officer using the details above.
Who this notice applies to
This notice applies to:
- Owners of stray or lost dogs
- People who report or find stray dogs
- People enquiring about unidentified dogs
- Volunteer dog walkers supporting the kennels service
- Individuals interacting with the Council's stray dog and kennels services
The personal information we collect
We may collect:
- Name, address and date of birth
- Contact details, including telephone numbers and email addresses
- Information relating to dog ownership
- Information relating to stray dogs reported to or collected by the Council
- Information provided through correspondence, enquiries and telephone calls
- Information held on national microchip databases where relevant and lawful
Where we get your information from
We obtain information:
- Directly from you through enquiries, reports and service requests
- From people who have found or reported a stray dog
- From national microchip databases
- From other organisations involved in the management of stray dogs where appropriate and lawful
How we use your information and our lawful bases
We use personal information to:
- Identify the owner of a stray dog through microchip records
- Contact owners of stray or unidentified dogs
- Contact individuals who have found or reported stray dogs
- Reunite dogs with their owners
- Manage stray dog services within Portsmouth
- Contact volunteer dog walkers
- Arrange the exercise and welfare of dogs in our care
- Support the management and development of kennel services
Lawful Bases under UK GDPR
Most kennel and stray dog service activities are carried out under the lawful bases of:
- Public task
- Legal obligation
Where consent is relied upon, this will be made clear when information is collected.
Who we share your information with
We may share information where necessary and lawful with:
- National microchip database providers
- Other local authorities
- Veterinary professionals where appropriate
- Police and law enforcement agencies
- Organisations supporting the management and welfare of stray dogs
Information may also be shared where necessary:
- To reunite a dog with its owner
- To protect animal welfare
- To prevent or detect crime or fraud
- To meet legal or regulatory obligations
We will only share information necessary for the organisation to provide services, support or carry out its statutory responsibilities.
We do not share personal information for third-party marketing purposes.
CCTV and Body Worn Cameras
Kennel facilities and associated sites may operate CCTV systems and body worn cameras.
CCTV and body worn camera recordings are used to support security, protect employees, volunteers and visitors, investigate incidents, and prevent and detect crime.
CCTV and body worn camera recordings that are stored and catalogued may be accessed through a Subject Access Request.
Access may be restricted where recordings contain other identifiable individuals or where disclosure would prejudice the prevention or detection of crime or where another legal exemption applies.
Portsmouth City Council may not record CCTV at all locations displaying CCTV signage and not all cameras will be operational at all times.
How long we keep your information
Personal information is only kept for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and in accordance with the Council's corporate retention schedule.
Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the purpose for which it was collected.
Further information can be found in the Council's corporate retention schedule.
How we keep your information secure
Technical and organisational measures are used to protect personal information, including:
- Access controls and permissions
- Staff training and awareness
- Secure storage and IT systems
- Regular monitoring and validation processes
- Information security and data protection policies
- Contractual controls with suppliers and service providers
Anyone processing personal information on behalf of Portsmouth City Council is required to do so securely and only for authorised purposes.
Your data protection rights
Under data protection law, you may have the right to:
- Access your personal information (Subject Access Request)
- Request correction of inaccurate information
- Request erasure in limited circumstances
- Request restriction of processing
- Object to processing in certain circumstances
- Request data portability in limited circumstances
- Exercise rights relating to automated decision-making and profiling
Right to object
You have the right to object to processing carried out under public task or legitimate interests in certain circumstances. Requests can be made by contacting the Data Protection Officer.
How to exercise your rights
You have the right to know whether Portsmouth City Council holds personal information about you.
Requests can be made by contacting the Data Protection Officer or by visiting the Council's subject access request and Freedom of Information pages.
You will usually be entitled to access your personal information, although access may be restricted where information relates to other individuals or where a legal exemption applies.
Complaints
If you are unhappy with how your personal information has been used, please contact the Data Protection Officer in the first instance.
If you remain dissatisfied, you may complain to:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Links to other websites
The Council's website may contain links to other websites. This privacy notice does not cover those websites. Please read the privacy notices published on any external sites you visit.
Changes to this privacy notice
This privacy notice was last reviewed on 21 October 2025.