Last updated October 8, 2026
Happy Ratters respects your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect through happyratters.com, how we use it, and the choices you have. By using this website, you agree to the practices described here.
Information we collect
Information you give us. When you fill out a form on this site — such as the Contact form, a trial or host club application, a judge application, an incident report, a Junior Handler application, a Junior Handler points report, a provisional judge's report of a trial or clinic, an evaluation of a provisional judge, or a request to be listed as a photographer — we collect the information you provide. Depending on the form, this may include your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, club name, details about your dog, and any comments or files you choose to include.
Listing information. If you are a Happy Ratters judge, a host club contact, or a listed photographer, we keep the contact details you have given us so that handlers can find and reach you.
Information collected automatically. Like most websites, our hosting provider records basic technical information such as your IP address and browser type in order to keep the site secure and running. We do not use analytics or advertising trackers on this site.
How we use your information
We use the information we collect to:
- respond to your questions and requests,
- review and process applications,
- schedule trials and administer the sport,
- publish and maintain the judge, club, and photographer directories,
- ask the host club or judges involved in a trial to confirm or evaluate what someone else has reported about it,
- send you a sign-in link when you ask to update your listing,
- send newsletters about the sport, the rule book, and this website, and
- protect the site against spam and abuse.
We do not sell or rent your personal information, and we do not use it for advertising.
Cookies
This site does not use tracking cookies. Some of our longer forms save a draft of what you have typed in your own browser so that your work is not lost if the page closes; this information stays on your device and is cleared when you submit the form.
Sharing your information
Information you submit is seen by the Happy Ratters volunteers responsible for handling it. We also rely on a small number of trusted service providers — for website hosting, email delivery, spam protection, and maps — who process information only as needed to provide those services to us. Interactive maps and address suggestions on this site are provided by a third-party mapping service, which may receive technical information from your browser when those features load.
Some submissions are shared with the other people involved so they can confirm or respond. For example, a provisional judge's report of a trial is sent to the host club to confirm the number of runs, and a Junior Handler's points report is sent to the club or judge chosen to verify it.
We do not share your personal information with anyone else, except where required by law.
Public directories
Our Judge Listing, Find a Club, and Photographers pages publish contact information so that handlers can reach judges, host clubs, and photographers. This may include a name, city and state, phone number, email address, and website or social media links. A judge's email address, phone number, travel distance and availability are not public: they are shown only to judges and host clubs signed in to My Happy Ratters. If you are listed and would like your details updated, your contact information hidden, or your listing removed, use the "update your listing" link on that page or contact us.
Email from us
Email about your use of the site. We send sign-in links you request, replies to your submissions, requests to confirm or evaluate something reported about a trial you were part of, and occasional reminders asking listed judges, clubs, and photographers to confirm their details are still current. Every reminder includes a link to stop future reminders.
Newsletters. From time to time we email a newsletter with news about the sport, the rule book, and this website to Happy Ratters judges and host club contacts. Every newsletter includes an unsubscribe link. Unsubscribing stops the newsletter only; we will still send the email described above, since that is how we reply to you and keep your listing current.
We do not send advertising, and we never share our mailing list.
Children
The Junior Handler Application is completed by a parent or guardian on behalf of a handler aged 5 to 17, and the Junior Handler Points Form asks for the handler’s birthdate. We collect only what is needed to confirm eligibility, issue a handler number and keep the handler’s points, and we keep the parent or guardian as the contact on file. A Junior Handler aged 13 or older may also give us their own email address; we never ask a younger child for one, and we don't keep one for a child under 13. Before an application reaches our team, we email the parent or guardian a link to confirm it; if nobody confirms it within 30 days, we delete it. Parents may contact us at any time to review or remove information about their child.
Nothing about a Junior Handler is shown publicly unless their parent or guardian chooses it. From the family’s points link, a parent can choose whether, when the handler earns a title or appears in Junior Handler standings, we show their full name, their first name and last initial, their Junior Handler number only, or nothing at all, on this website, in our newsletter and on our Facebook page. Nothing is shown until a choice is made, and a parent can change it at any time; a change takes effect on the website right away but cannot recall a newsletter or post already sent. We never show a Junior Handler’s age, birthdate, hometown or photo.
How long we keep information
We keep submissions and listing information for as long as needed for the purposes described above, such as maintaining records of trials, titles, and applications. You may ask us to delete your information at any time, and we will do so where we reasonably can.
Your choices
You may ask us to access, correct, or delete the personal information we hold about you, to remove your details from a public directory, to unsubscribe from the newsletter, or to stop reminder emails. To make a request, contact us. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.
Security
This site is served over a secure (HTTPS) connection, and submitted information is stored in a private system accessible only to authorized volunteers. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your information.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised date. If you have questions about this policy, please contact us.