Privacy & trust7 min read
What NOT to put on a public pet profile
A scannable pet tag is a doorway to a public page. The choice of what to leave OFF that page is one of the quieter, more important decisions an owner makes. Less is usually safer.
The Driyu team
Pet safety editorial
Quick answer: Leave these off: home address, full owner birth date, full pet medical history, financial details, schedule details, photos taken in identifiable locations. Keep on: pet name, photo, brief description, finder-friendly contact (often a phone), and whatever else you actually want a stranger to see.
Why less is safer on a public page
A QR pet tag is scanned by people you have not met. Most are well-meaning. The minority who are not can use information against the household if owners overshare. Default to restraint.
The public-facing version of a profile and the private full record can be different. Most platforms (including Driyu) separate them by design.
What to leave off
- Home address. The pet’s address is a household’s address. Driyu’s public scan page never shows the home address.
- Full owner birth date. Identity-verification data does not belong on a public page.
- Full medical history. Allergies and urgent alerts are different; the entire chart is for the vet, not the public.
- Financial details — insurance numbers, payment information
- Schedule details — “dog walked daily at 4 PM” on a public page tells someone exactly when no one is home
- Photos with identifiable backgrounds — a house number, a license plate, a school logo
- Family member full names beyond what is needed for reunion
- Sitter’s personal address or phone without their consent
What can belong on, in the right form
- Pet name and photo
- Brief description — breed type, size, color, distinguishing features
- Behavior note for a finder — shy, friendly, do-not-chase
- Owner-chosen contact — phone number or pet-platform contact
- Urgent medical alert — e.g., “diabetic, needs evening medication”
- Microchip status if your platform supports it
How Driyu’s public scan page works
Driyu’s public scan page reflects current shipped behavior: the home address never appears. Owner-controlled toggles govern phone, email, city, state, and emergency contacts. Microchip number and medical alerts render on the public scan page when populated.
The owner decides what shows. The platform’s defaults err toward showing the things a finder genuinely needs and keeping the rest off.
Household coordination
When more than one person manages a pet, agree in advance about what the public profile says. Mismatched expectations end with someone putting more information back on the public page than the household wanted.
How Driyu fits
A Driyu pet profile separates the public scan page (what a stranger sees) from the full record (what you and your sitters see). The public side stays calm and finder-useful. The address never appears on the public side. The toggles for phone, email, city, state, and emergency contacts are yours to set.
Related reads from Driyu
- Writing finder instructions on your pet profile: 6 lines that matter
- Why pet privacy settings matter on a scannable tag
- Your pet’s privacy: what Driyu shares (and what it doesn’t)
Sources and further reading
- Federal Trade Commission — Consumer privacy basics
- AVMA — Pet identification
- Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
Frequently asked questions
Is showing my phone number safe?
It is the owner’s call. A phone number is the fastest reunion path. Many owners use a Google Voice or similar layer for added privacy.
What about a backup contact?
A backup contact with their permission is useful. Without their permission, leave them off the public page.
Should microchip number appear?
Most owners do not show the microchip number publicly; the registry handles lookup. The public profile’s job is reunion, not chip verification.
Is HIPAA involved?
No — HIPAA does not cover pet medical records. The relevant frame is consumer privacy and trust, not federal health regulation.
