Can I delete my TruePath account and all my data?

Yes. You can request account deletion through the account deletion page at /account-deletion. Once submitted, TruePath removes your personal data within 30 days. Financial transaction records may be retained for up to 7 years to comply with ATO record-keeping requirements, but these are kept separately from your active account data.

Is my dog's medical information stored on TruePath's servers?

Yes — any conditions, medications, or vet details you enter in your dog's profile are stored. This data is only used to inform the walker or sitter you've matched with. It is not sold to third parties and is deleted when you delete your account.

Can I see what personal data TruePath holds about me?

Yes. Under APP 12 of the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to request access to your personal information. Contact TruePath's privacy officer through the in-app support function or at the email listed in the Privacy Policy. Requests are typically fulfilled within 30 days.

Who can see the GPS route from my dog's walk?

You can view the live GPS route during the walk and the full route map in your booking history afterwards. The assigned walker sees the same map. TruePath support staff can access GPS data only during an active dispute investigation. Walk routes are not shared with third parties.

Does TruePath share my address with walkers before I confirm a booking?

No. Before a booking is confirmed, walkers see only your suburb. Your street address is only released to the matched walker after you confirm the booking.

Trust & safety

Dog Walking App Privacy — What Data Is Collected and Who Sees It

Understand exactly what data TruePath collects when you book a dog walk, who can see it, how long it's kept, and how Australian Privacy Law protects you compared to US-based platforms.

By atticus · 7 min read · Last updated 18 May 2026

Dog walking apps handle more sensitive information than most people realise — your home address, your daily schedule, your pet's health history, and your payment details all flow through the platform. Understanding what TruePath collects, who sees it, and how it's protected is a reasonable expectation before handing over that information.

What TruePath Collects

Account and Booking Data

When you create an owner account and make a booking, TruePath collects:

Identity information: full name, email address, mobile phone number
Home address: required for walk pick-up and boarding drop-off
Payment information: processed through a PCI-DSS compliant payment gateway; TruePath stores a payment token, not your raw card details
Dog profile: name, breed, age, weight, vaccination records (including C5 certificates), medical conditions, behavioural notes, feeding instructions, emergency vet contact

Walk Data

Every booked walk generates location data:

GPS route: the complete path the walker travels during your dog's walk, including timestamps
Walk start and end times: confirmed automatically when the walker taps in/out in the app
Photos and updates: any images or notes the walker sends during the walk appear in your booking record

Communications

In-app messages between you and a walker are stored on TruePath's servers. These records are used to resolve disputes and are accessible to the TruePath support team when a complaint is active.

Understanding the limits of data sharing matters as much as knowing what is collected.

Walker's home address is not shared with owners. Walkers who offer boarding may have their general suburb displayed, but their street address is never shown in owner-facing screens.
Your home address is only shared with a walker after a booking is confirmed. Walkers browsing available jobs see your suburb, not your street address.
Dog behaviour and health data is not sold to third parties, including pet food companies, insurers, or veterinary networks. This data is used solely for the purpose of facilitating the service you've booked.
Walk GPS routes are visible to you and the matched walker only during an active booking, and to TruePath support staff for dispute resolution.

Australian Privacy Principles — Your Legal Rights

TruePath operates under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and is bound by the 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). The key protections for you as an owner:

APP 5 — Notification: TruePath must tell you what it collects and why at the point of collection.
APP 6 — Use and disclosure: Personal information collected for booking purposes cannot be used for unrelated purposes (such as marketing from third parties) without your consent.
APP 12 — Access: You can request a copy of all personal information TruePath holds about you.
APP 13 — Correction: You can request correction of inaccurate information.

Complaints about privacy breaches can be made to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au if the platform fails to respond adequately.

Data Retention

Walk records, GPS routes, and booking history are retained for 2 years from the date of the booking. This retention period aligns with standard dispute resolution timelines under Australian Consumer Law. After 2 years, walk-level data is deleted from active systems.

Account profile information (name, address, dog profiles) is retained while your account remains active. If you delete your account, this data is removed within 30 days, except where TruePath is legally required to retain a record (e.g., for financial transaction history under ATO obligations).

FYI

If you want to delete your TruePath account and all associated personal data, you can initiate the process on the account deletion page. The process is self-serve and takes effect within 30 days. You'll receive a confirmation email once deletion is complete.

How TruePath Compares to Mad Paws, Pawshake, and Rover

Mad Paws and Pawshake are both Australian-founded platforms and are subject to the same Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) framework as TruePath. They collect broadly similar booking and profile data. The meaningful differences between these platforms relate to their specific data retention policies and how booking data is used for internal profiling — these details are in each platform's privacy policy.

Rover is US-based and headquartered in Seattle, Washington. While Rover operates in Australia, its primary privacy jurisdiction is US federal and state law. The US does not have a comprehensive federal privacy law equivalent to the Privacy Act. US consumers rely on a patchwork of state laws (California's CPRA being the strongest). Australian users of Rover should note that their data may be processed and stored in the United States under legal frameworks that provide fewer consumer protections than the APPs.

Feature	Feature	TruePath	Mad Paws	Pawshake
Primary privacy jurisdiction	Australia (Privacy Act 1988)	Australia (Privacy Act 1988)	Australia (Privacy Act 1988)	USA (no federal equivalent)
Right to access your data	Yes (APP 12)	Yes (APP 12)	Yes (APP 12)	Depends on state (strongest in CA)
Right to correct data	Yes (APP 13)	Yes (APP 13)	Yes (APP 13)	Limited
Data sold to third parties	No	Check privacy policy	Check privacy policy	Check privacy policy
OAIC complaint pathway	Yes	Yes	Yes	No — OAIC covers Australian entities

Privacy jurisdiction comparison: Australian platforms vs US-based Rover

Is Your Dog's Medical Information Safe?

Yes. Medical and behavioural information in your dog's profile — including conditions, medications, allergies, and vet details — is used solely to facilitate the care provided during a booking. This information is visible to:

You, as the account holder
The matched walker or sitter, during the active booking period
TruePath support staff, only when a dispute or safety incident is under review

This information is not used for advertising targeting, not shared with veterinary networks or pet insurance providers, and not included in any data sold or licensed to third parties.

Frequently asked questions

Find a TruePath walker near you

Background-checked walkers, GPS-tracked walks, and live photo updates. Most owners book their first walk within an hour.

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