Privacy policy

Effective date: 21/11/2025

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share and protect your personal data when you use dr-akita.com or buy our products.

When we say:

  • “Dr. Akita”, “we”, “us”, “our” - we mean Dr. Akita.
  • “Website” - we mean https://dr-akita.com and any related pages where this policy appears.
  • “you” / “your” - we mean visitors, customers and anyone who interacts with us.

We act as a “data controller” for personal data we collect and use about you in line with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.


1. Who we are & how to contact us

Data controller
 Tyger Brands Hong Kong Limited (trading as Dr. Akita)
 Unit 1102, 11/F, 29 Austin Road
 Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
 Hong Kong

Brand: Dr. Akita
 Website: https://dr-akita.com
 Customer support email: woof@dr-akita.com

Data protection contact (DPO/contact person)
 If you have questions about this policy or how we use your data, you can contact our data protection contact at:
 Email: info@tygerbrands.com

We may also use Shopify and other providers as processors to help us run the Website and store/handle your data for us.


2. Scope of this policy

This policy applies when:

  • You browse or use dr-akita.com
  • You create an account or place an order
  • You sign up to our newsletter or marketing
  • You contact us (email, forms, social media, customer support)
  • You interact with our ads or content that link back to this policy

It does not cover how third-party websites or platforms use your data (for example, Shopify’s own services, payment gateways, social media, or marketplaces). Those are governed by their own privacy policies.


3. Children

Our Website and products are aimed at adults who buy for their pets.
 We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18.

If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please email woof@dr-akita.com and we’ll delete it where we’re required to.


4. The personal data we collect

The exact data we collect depends on how you interact with us, but typically includes:

a) Identity & contact data

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Delivery / billing address
  • Phone number
  • Account login details (email + hashed password) if you create an account

b) Order & payment-related data

  • Products you buy, subscription choices, order history
  • Delivery preferences and notes
  • Last four digits of card / card type or payment method (we do not store your full card number; this sits with Shopify and/or payment providers)

c) Pet information (optional)

If you choose to provide it (for example in quizzes, surveys, emails, or product questions):

  • Pet name
  • Species/breed, age, weight
  • Dietary information
  • General health / wellness context you share with us

We do not provide veterinary services and we don’t request detailed medical records, but you may still share health information about your pet or, sometimes, about yourself.

d) Technical & usage data

Collected automatically when you use the Website, such as:

  • IP address, device type, browser type and version, operating system
  • Pages visited, time and date of visit, time spent on each page
  • Clicks, scrolls and general usage of the Website
  • Approximate location (derived from IP - e.g. country or city level)
  • Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see section 8)

e) Marketing & communications data

  • Your preferences for receiving marketing from us
  • Your responses to campaigns, opens/clicks in emails where tracking is enabled

f) User-generated content

  • Product reviews, ratings, testimonials
  • Messages, comments or content you submit via forms, emails or social media


5. How we collect your data

We collect personal data in three main ways:

Directly from you

For example, when you:

  • Place an order or create an account
  • Enter your email at checkout or in a pop-up
  • Contact us by email or form
  • Respond to surveys, quizzes or feedback forms
  • Leave a review or testimonial
  • Interact with us on social media (comments, DMs etc.)

Automatically, via cookies and similar tech

When you browse the Website, we and our providers automatically collect usage and device information (see section 8).

From third parties

For example:

  • Payment providers (confirming payment status, fraud checks)
  • Analytics and advertising partners (aggregated insights and campaign performance)
  • Email and SMS platforms (delivery status, engagement metrics)
  • If we later sell via approved retailers/marketplaces, we may receive limited order data to fulfil your order or handle support.


6. How and why we use your data (legal bases)

Under UK GDPR, we must have a legal basis for using your personal data. We typically rely on:

  • Contract - where we need the data to process your order or provide services you requested
  • Legitimate interests - where we use data in ways you’d reasonably expect and which have minimal privacy impact
  • Consent - mainly for certain marketing and cookies
  • Legal obligation - where we must keep or share data to comply with the law

Here’s how that plays out:

To run the Website and fulfil your orders
 (Contract / legitimate interests)

  • Processing and delivering your orders
  • Managing payments, fees and charges
  • Sending order confirmation, dispatch and subscription-related emails
  • Managing returns, refunds and customer support

To provide customer service
 (Contract / legitimate interests)

  • Answering questions about products, orders or subscriptions
  • Handling complaints and feedback
  • Following up if there’s a problem with your delivery or payment

To personalise your experience & improve our products
 (Legitimate interests / sometimes consent)

  • Remembering what’s in your cart or your preferences
  • Recommending products that might be relevant to your pet
  • Analysing how people use the Website to improve design and user experience
  • Running surveys and internal analysis to understand what’s working

To send you marketing (where allowed)
 (Legitimate interests / consent)

  • Email or SMS about new products, offers and content
  • Abandoned checkout reminders
  • Segmenting and tailoring messages so they’re more relevant

You can opt out of marketing at any time (see section 7).

To run ads and measure performance
 (Legitimate interests / consent via cookies)

  • Using cookies and pixels to understand which ads lead to visits or purchases
  • Showing more relevant adverts (for example on Meta, Google, or other platforms)
  • Limiting how often you see the same ad
  • Measuring campaign performance

To keep things secure & comply with the law
 (Legal obligation / legitimate interests)

  • Detecting and preventing fraud or misuse
  • Keeping our systems secure
  • Keeping records for tax and accounting
  • Complying with lawful requests from authorities


7. Marketing communications

We’d like to keep you up to date with newsletters, offers and content that are relevant to pet owners.

We’ll only send you marketing emails or SMS when:

  • You’ve given clear consent (e.g. ticked a box or entered your email for “updates”), or
  • It’s allowed under “soft opt-in” rules (for example, existing customers we’re emailing about similar products), and you haven’t opted out.

You can stop marketing at any time by:

  • Clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any marketing email; or
  • Replying “STOP” to an SMS (if/when used); or
  • Emailing us at woof@dr-akita.com.

We will still send essential, non-marketing messages related to your orders, account, legal notices or service updates.


8. Cookies & tracking technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies on dr-akita.com to:

  • Make the site work (cart, checkout, login)
  • Remember your preferences
  • Understand performance and improve the site
  • Run analytics and advertising

Types of cookies we may use:

  • Strictly necessary cookies - required for the site to function (e.g. checkout, security).
  • Performance/analytics cookies - to understand how the site is used (e.g. which pages are most visited).
  • Functional cookies - to remember choices and improve your experience.
  • Advertising / targeting cookies - to show relevant ads and measure campaigns.

You can manage cookies by:

  • Using the cookie banner / settings on our Website (where implemented); and/or
  • Adjusting your browser settings to block or delete cookies.

Blocking some types of cookies may affect how well the Website works (for example, you may not be able to use the cart or checkout).

Some third parties (e.g. analytics and ad partners) may set cookies or similar tools when you visit our site or see our ads. Their own privacy policies explain how they use that data.


9. Who we share your data with

We do not sell your personal data.

We do share it with carefully selected third parties where needed to run our business, including:

Service providers (“processors”)

For example:

  • Website hosting and ecommerce platform (e.g. Shopify)
  • Payment processors and fraud-prevention tools
  • Delivery and fulfilment partners
  • Email/SMS service providers
  • Analytics and A/B testing tools
  • Advertising platforms (to show and measure ads)
  • Customer support tools (helpdesk, chat, ticketing)

They can only use your data to provide services to us and must handle it securely.

Professional advisers

  • Lawyers, accountants, auditors, insurers - where necessary for advice, compliance and governance.

Business transfers

If we restructure, sell or transfer the Dr. Akita business or assets, your data may be shared with the buyer or prospective buyer as part of the process, under confidentiality. If a change happens, the new owner may use your data in the same way as set out in this policy.

Legal & regulatory

We may disclose personal data when we believe it’s necessary to:

  • Comply with law or legal process
  • Respond to lawful requests from authorities
  • Protect our rights, property, safety or that of our customers or others
  • Detect, prevent or investigate fraud or security issues


10. How we keep your data secure

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including:

  • Encryption in transit where appropriate (e.g. HTTPS)
  • Restricted access to systems on a need-to-know basis
  • Use of reputable hosting and payment providers
  • Internal processes for access control, passwords and updates

That said, no system or transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we do work to minimise risks.

You are responsible for:

  • Keeping your account password confidential
  • Logging out on shared devices
  • Letting us know promptly if you suspect unauthorised access to your account


11. How long we keep your data

We keep your personal data only for as long as we need it for the purposes described in this policy, including:

  • For as long as you have an account or active relationship with us
  • For as long as needed to fulfil orders, manage subscriptions and handle returns
  • For as long as needed to meet legal, accounting or tax requirements
  • For a period after your last interaction to handle potential disputes, queries or claims

When we no longer need your data, we will either:

  • Delete it; or
  • Anonymise it so it can no longer identify you, and use it for aggregated reporting and analytics.


12. Your rights (UK & EU data protection)

If you are in the UK (and, where applicable, the EU/EEA), you have rights over your personal data, including:

  • Right of access - to ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to rectification - to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”) - to ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.
  • Right to restriction - to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
  • Right to data portability - to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format and/or have it sent to another controller, where technically feasible and where the legal basis is consent or contract.
  • Right to object - to object to certain processing based on legitimate interests, including profiling, and to direct marketing at any time.
  • Right to withdraw consent - where we rely on consent (e.g. for marketing), you can withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at woof@dr-akita.com or info@tygerbrands.com and clearly state:

  • Which right you want to exercise
  • Any relevant details to help us locate your data (name, email, order number, etc.)

We may need to request additional information to verify your identity before fulfilling a request. Some rights are not absolute - in some cases we may have legal or legitimate grounds to refuse or partially restrict a request, and if so we’ll explain why.

Right to complain to the ICO

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) - the UK data protection regulator - if you’re unhappy with how we handle your data.

Website: https://ico.org.uk

We’d appreciate the chance to address your concerns first, so please consider contacting us before going to the ICO.


13. Third-party links

Our Website may contain links to other websites, apps or services (for example, social media, partners, or content we reference). We are not responsible for how those third parties handle your data.

We recommend you read the privacy policy of each site you visit.


14. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

  • The “Effective date” at the top tells you when it was last updated.
  • Significant changes may be highlighted on the Website or emailed to you where appropriate.

Your continued use of the Website after we publish changes means you accept the updated policy.


15. How to contact us

If you have any questions, requests or complaints about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, you can contact us at:

By email (general & rights requests):
 woof@dr-akita.com

Data protection contact:
 info@tygerbrands.com

 

Cookie Policy

Effective date: 21/11/2025

This Cookie Policy explains how Tyger Brands Hong Kong Limited, trading as Dr. Akita (“Dr. Akita”, “we”, “us”, “our”), uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit https://dr-akita.com (the “Website”).

It should be read together with our Privacy Policy, which explains how we use personal data more generally.

If you have any questions, you can contact us at woof@dr-akita.com.


1. What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, tablet, phone) when you visit a website. They do things like:

  • Remember what’s in your basket
  • Keep you logged in
  • Help us understand how people use the site
  • Enable us and our partners to show relevant ads

Cookies can be:

  • First-party cookies – set by us
  • Third-party cookies – set by other companies (for example, analytics or advertising partners)

They can also be:

  • Session cookies – deleted when you close your browser
  • Persistent cookies – stay on your device for a set period or until you delete them

We also use similar technologies such as pixels, tags and local storage. In this policy, we call them all “cookies” for simplicity.


2. How we use cookies

We use cookies for four main reasons:

  1. To make the Website work properly

  2. To understand how people use the Website

  3. To remember your preferences

  4. To run and measure marketing

Under UK law, we can place strictly necessary cookies without your consent.
For all other cookies, we ask for your consent the first time you visit the Website and let you change your mind at any time.


3. Types of cookies we use

a) Strictly necessary cookies

(Always on – no consent required)

These cookies are essential for the Website to work and to provide services you request. Without them, things like checkout, basic security and cookie preferences would not function correctly.

We use them to:

  • Remember items in your basket
  • Let you move between pages and use core features
  • Record your cookie preferences
  • Help keep the Website secure

You can block these cookies in your browser settings, but parts of the site may not work properly.


b) Performance and analytics cookies

(Require consent)

These cookies help us understand how people use the Website so we can improve it.

We use them to:

  • See which pages are visited and how often
  • Learn where visitors come from (for example, search, ads, direct)
  • Measure which parts of the site work well and which need attention
  • Test different versions of pages (A/B testing)

The information is usually aggregated and we don’t use it to identify you directly.


c) Functionality cookies

(Require consent)

These cookies allow the Website to remember choices you make so we can provide a more tailored experience.

We use them to:

  • Remember your country or language
  • Save preferences (for example, whether you’ve seen a particular notice)
  • Provide enhanced features (for example, certain widgets or personalised content)

If you turn these off, some features may not work as smoothly, but the core site will still function.


d) Advertising and targeting cookies

(Require consent)

These cookies are used to show you more relevant ads and to measure how effective our advertising is.

We and our partners may use them to:

  • Show ads for Dr. Akita on other websites or apps
  • Limit how often you see the same ad
  • Understand which ads lead to visits, sign-ups or purchases
  • Build audiences of people who have visited the Website to show them more relevant ads elsewhere

These cookies may track your activity across different websites and create a profile based on your interests. If you disable them, you may still see ads, but they’re likely to be less relevant.


4. Your cookie choices

a) Our cookie banner / settings

When you first visit dr-akita.com, you’ll see a cookie banner asking you to:

  • Accept all cookies, or
  • Reject non-essential cookies, or
  • Manage preferences by category

You can change your choices at any time by using the “Cookie settings” link (for example, in the footer or cookie icon, depending on how we’ve implemented it).

Your current preferences apply to the browser and device you’re using. If you use more than one browser or device, you’ll need to set your preferences on each.


b) Browser controls

Most browsers let you:

  • See which cookies you have
  • Delete them
  • Block cookies from specific sites or all sites

You can usually find these settings in the Privacy or Security section of your browser. If you block all cookies, some parts of the Website might not work properly (especially checkout and account login).


c) Online advertising choices

For interest-based advertising more broadly (not just on our Website), you can also visit:

  • Your Online Choices (EU/UK) – https://www.youronlinechoices.com/
  • Network Advertising Initiative – https://www.networkadvertising.org/choices
  • Digital Advertising Alliance – https://www.aboutads.info/choices

These tools let you opt out of many (but not all) advertising networks that use cookies.


5. How long cookies last

Cookies stay on your device for different lengths of time:

  • Session cookies – deleted when you close your browser
  • Persistent cookies – kept until they expire or you delete them

The exact duration depends on the cookie and the provider. Our cookie banner / consent tool will normally show you the names and lifetimes of the cookies currently in use.


6. Third-party cookies

We work with various third parties (for example, ecommerce platform, analytics providers and advertising partners) who may set cookies on our Website.

These third parties have their own privacy and cookie policies which explain how they use the information they collect. We don’t control their use of cookies once they are set, but we do decide which services we use on our Website.

You can control whether these cookies run via our cookie settings and your browser settings.


7. Relationship with our Privacy Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how we use cookies.

For more details on:

  • What personal data we collect
  • How we use it
  • The legal bases we rely on
  • Your rights under UK data protection law


8. Updates to this Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time, for example if we change the cookies we use or if the law changes.

When we make changes, we’ll update the “Effective date” at the top of this page. In some cases, we may also show an updated banner or ask you to review your cookie choices again.

We recommend checking this page occasionally to stay informed about how we use cookies.


9. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy or how we use cookies and similar technologies, you can contact us at:

Email: woof@dr-akita.com

We’ll do our best to help.