Privacy Policy
Last updated: September 22, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains what information VG Awesome Dogs™ ("VG Awesome Dogs," "we," "us," or "our") collects through vgawesomedogs.com, including its free games and the Pack Playdate™ dog-matching feature (together, the "Service"), how we use and protect that information, and the choices you have. By using the Service, you agree to the practices described here.
1. Information we collect
Information you give us directly
The free games on the site can be played without an account. Creating a Pack Playdate™ account and registering a dog asks for:
| What we ask for | Why |
|---|---|
| Email address & password | To create and secure your account, and to log you back in |
| Your name | Shown to dogs you're matched with |
| Your dog's name, breed, birth month & year, and a photo | Shown on your dog's profile and used to calculate compatibility with other dogs |
| ZIP code and preferred search distance | To suggest matches within a distance you choose (we only ever show an approximate area to other members, never your exact address) |
| Personality traits you select (e.g. "Playful," "Good with puppies") | To help suggest compatible playmates |
| Email notification preference | To know whether you want to be emailed about new matches |
Breed and birth month/year (or, for accounts registered before this feature existed, a plain age) are required to use Pack Playdate™; everything else is optional and only used to improve match suggestions.
You can also register just to play games, without a dog profile — a lighter "gamer" account that only asks for an email address & password (or Google/Apple/passkey sign-in) and a display name, so someone without a dog can still save progress and play online with friends.
Game progress, scores & multiplayer data
The free games (Checkmutt™ chess, Math Pack™, Paws & Rackets™, Squeaky Squash™, Zoomies Grand Prix™, Fetch Cup Football™, Pup Bowl™, The Barkade Pinball, and similar) can save your progress — things like an in-progress chess game, tournament or season standing, high scores, and math-tutor session history — so you can pick up where you left off.
- By default, this is stored only in your browser (via
localStorage), on your device, and is never sent to us unless you're signed in. - If you're signed in (a full Pack Playdate™ account or a lighter gamer account), that same progress is also synced to our servers, tied to your account, so it's available if you come back on a different device.
- We do not use game-progress data for advertising, and it is never shown to other members outside of a match/game you're actively playing.
Online multiplayer (playing with a friend)
Some games let you host or join an online match with a friend using a six-character room code. This uses a third-party "peer-to-peer" connection service (PeerJS, via its public signaling server) to help two players' browsers find and connect directly to each other:
- The signaling service sees each player's IP address, the same way it would for any similar connection-brokering service, in order to establish the connection — this is between you and that service, not stored by us.
- Once connected, gameplay data (moves, scores, in-game positions, and the display name you type in for that match) is sent directly between the players' own devices — it does not pass through or get stored on our servers.
- A room code and the name you enter for an online match aren't tied to your account and aren't saved once the match/session ends.
Information from "Sign in with Google" and "Sign in with Apple"
If you choose to sign in or register using Google or Apple instead of a password, that provider sends our server a signed identity token containing your name and email address. We request only your basic profile and email — nothing else — and use it solely to verify who you are and to create or link your VG Awesome Dogs™ account; we never see or store your Google or Apple password, and this information is never shared with anyone outside VG Awesome Dogs™. Google's and Apple's own privacy policies govern what they collect when you use their sign-in button:
VG Awesome Dogs™'s use and transfer to any other app of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. In practice, that means the name and email we receive from Google is used only to run the sign-in and matching features described in this policy — never for advertising, never sold or transferred to data brokers or other third parties, never used to train AI or machine learning models, and never read by a human except where you've given us permission, it's needed for security or legal reasons, or it's merged in an aggregated, anonymized form.
Passkeys
If you add a passkey (Face ID, Touch ID, Windows Hello, Android biometrics, or a security key) to sign in without a password, we store only the resulting public key, a sign-in counter, and a label for that device. Your fingerprint, face, or PIN — and the private key generated for it — never leave your device and are never sent to us.
Cookies
The Service uses two cookies, both required for the login system to work, and neither used for advertising or tracking:
- A session cookie, which keeps you logged in while you're actively using the site.
- An optional "remember this device" cookie, set once you log in, so you don't have to log in again on that device for 30 days. It contains a random identifier, never your password.
We do not use advertising cookies, and we do not currently use any analytics or ad-tracking service on this site.
Information collected automatically
Like most websites, our hosting provider's servers automatically log standard technical information for security and troubleshooting purposes — such as IP address, browser type, and pages requested — for every visitor, whether or not you have an account.
2. How we use your information
- To create, secure, and let you log in to your account (including "remember me" and passkey sign-in).
- To operate Pack Playdate™: showing your dog's profile to, and suggesting matches with, other members based on breed, age, location, and personality traits.
- To save and sync your game progress, scores, and tournament standing across your devices, if you're signed in.
- To send you account-related emails you request: password reset links, and recovering your login email by dog name and ZIP code.
- To send match-notification emails, only if you've turned that option on.
- To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security issues.
We do not use your information for advertising, and we do not build advertising profiles.
3. How we share your information
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with advertisers or data brokers. We share information only in these limited ways:
- With other members you're matched with — Pack Playdate™ is a matching feature by design, so a match sees the profile information you entered: your name, your dog's name, breed, age, approximate area, selected traits, and photo. It never shows your exact address, email, or password.
- With service providers who help us run the Service — our web hosting provider (which stores the database and sends account-related emails on our behalf) and the font/image resources listed below. These providers only process data as needed to provide their service to us.
- If required by law — if we're legally required to disclose information, or believe it's necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of VG Awesome Dogs™, our users, or others.
4. Third-party services used on this site
| Service | What it's used for |
|---|---|
| Google Identity Services / Sign in with Apple | Optional one-tap sign-in (see above) |
| Google Fonts | Loads the site's typefaces; Google's servers may log IP addresses as part of serving font files |
| Unsplash | Hosts a small number of decorative stock photos used on the site |
| QR Server (api.qrserver.com) | Generates a QR code image linking to our site |
| PeerJS | Helps two browsers connect directly for online multiplayer games (see "Online multiplayer" above); gameplay data flows player-to-player, not through our servers |
Loading a page that references these services means your browser makes a direct request to them, which can expose your IP address to that service in the same way it would for any embedded image or font.
5. Data retention
We keep your account information for as long as your account is active. Password-reset links and passkey sign-in challenges are single-use and expire automatically within a short time (about an hour or less). Game progress saved locally in your browser stays there until you clear your browser's site data; game progress synced to our servers is kept for as long as your account is active. You can ask us to delete your account and associated data at any time — see "Your choices" below.
6. How we protect your information
- Passwords are never stored in plain text — only a one-way cryptographic hash (bcrypt) is kept.
- The "remember this device" cookie never contains your password; it's a random value that's checked against a hashed record and rotated every time it's used.
- Passkey sign-in uses public-key cryptography verified with real signature checks — we only ever hold a public key, never a private key or biometric data.
- Google and Apple sign-in tokens are verified server-side against each provider's own published signing keys, with no password ever passing through our servers.
- The Service is served over HTTPS.
No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work to protect your information using the safeguards above.
7. Your choices and rights
- Update your information — log in and edit your dog's registration at any time.
- Turn off match-notification emails — uncheck the notification option on your profile.
- Delete your account — email us (below) and we will delete your account, dog profile, photo, and associated sign-in data.
- Remove a passkey or "remembered" device — manage this from your account's passkey settings, or simply log out to forget a device.
If you are located in the European Economic Area, the UK, or California, you may have additional rights over your personal information under GDPR or CCPA, including the right to access, correct, or delete your data, and the right to data portability. We do not sell personal information, so there is nothing to opt out of in that respect. To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the information below.
8. Children's privacy
The Service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
9. International users
The Service is hosted in the United States (or wherever our hosting provider's servers are located). If you use the Service from outside that location, your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed there.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We'll update the "Last updated" date above when we do, and for significant changes we'll make a reasonable effort to let members know.
11. Contact us
Questions about this policy, or requests to access or delete your data, can be sent to: