We attach great importance to the protection of your personal data. Our detailed privacy policy informs you about what data we collect, how we use it and what rights you have.

The following PDF file is authoritative:

General privacy policy of the SNIF Dogs Switzerland association

1. What is this privacy policy about?

The association SNIF Dogs Switzerland, Hängelenweg 4, 3123 Belp, Switzerland (hereinafter also referred to as "SNIF Dogs", "we" or "us") processes personal data concerning you or other persons in different ways and for different purposes.

"Personal data" is all information that can be linked to a specific person, and "processing" means any handling of it, e.g. obtaining, using and disclosing it.

Unless another specific data protection declaration applies (e.g. our data protection declaration for the dog trainer training contract or our data protection declaration for employees), this data protection declaration explains our processing of personal data (subsequently data or Personal data called), if

• you visit our website www.snifdogs-switzerland.ch,
• you purchase our services or products,
• you are otherwise in contact with us as part of a contract (e.g. if you make a gift to us, if you provide us with services, etc.),
• you contact us by e-mail, letter, on social media, by SMS, via a contact form, etc., and
• you have to deal with us in the context of all other data processing in connection with our offers.

For ease of reading, this privacy policy does not use gender-neutral differentiation. However, in the interests of equal treatment, we refer to persons of all genders by the terms listed.

Please take the time to read this Privacy Policy to find out how and why SNIF Dogs processes your personal data, how SNIF Dogs protects your personal data and what rights you have in this regard. If you have any questions or would like further information about our data processing, please do not hesitate to contact us (section 2).

2. Who is responsible for processing your data?

For the processing of personal data in accordance with this privacy policy, the following legal entity is the "controller", i.e. the entity primarily responsible under data protection law, unless otherwise communicated in individual cases:

SNIF Dogs Switzerland

Hängelenweg 4

3123 Belp

Switzerland

If you have any questions about data protection, please contact the following address:

by post to:

SNIF Dogs Switzerland

Attn: Data protection

Hängelenweg 4

3123 Belp

and/or by e-mail to:

privacy@snifdogs-switzerland.ch

If you send us or disclose personal data about other persons, e.g. information about family members, we assume that you are authorised to do so and that this personal data is correct. By transmitting personal data about third parties, you confirm this. Please also ensure that these third parties have been informed about this privacy policy (e.g. by a reference to this privacy policy).

3. What personal data do we process?

We process different categories of personal data depending on the occasion and purpose. The most important categories are listed below for your guidance, although this list is not exhaustive. 

You provide us with much of the personal data mentioned in this section 3 yourself. You are not obliged to do so, subject to individual cases. If you wish to conclude contracts with us or claim services, you must also provide us with personal data as part of your contractual obligation under the relevant contract, in particular master data and contract data, including particularly sensitive personal data.

4. Master data

We define master data as the basic data that we require for the processing of our business relationships or for marketing and advertising purposes and that relate directly to your person and characteristics. For example, we process the following master data:

• Title, surname and first name, gender and date of birth
• Address, contact details such as e-mail address and telephone and mobile phone number
• Profession
• In the case of contact persons of companies, also relationships with the company for which you work
• Customer history
• Signature authorisations and declarations of consent.

We generally receive this master data from you, but we may also receive or obtain personal data from third parties, e.g. from our contractual partners and from publicly accessible sources such as public registers or the Internet (websites, social media, etc.).

5. Contract data

Contract data is information that arises in connection with the conclusion or execution of the contract, e.g. information about contracts and the services to be provided or provided, as well as data from the run-up to the conclusion of a contract, information about the conclusion of the contract itself (e.g. the date of conclusion and the subject matter of the contract), as well as the information required or used for processing. We process the following contract data, for example:

• Date, application process, information on the type, duration and conditions of the contract in question, data on the termination of the contract
• Contact details and delivery addresses
• Information on the use of services and products
• Information on payments and payment methods, bank account details and numbers, invoices, mutual claims, contacts with customer service, complaints, defects, returns, information on customer satisfaction, complaints, feedback, etc.
• For services available online, also access data and logins.

We receive this personal data from you, but also from partners with whom we work.

6. Communication data

Communication data is data in connection with our communication with you, e.g. if you contact us via the contact form or other means of communication. Communication data are e.g.

• Name and contact details such as postal address, e-mail address and telephone number
• Content of correspondence [(e.g. e-mails, written correspondence, telephone conversations, etc.)].
• Answers to customer and satisfaction surveys
• Information on the type, time and possibly location of the communication and other marginal data of the communication.

7. Technical data

Technical data is collected in connection with the use of our website. This includes, for example, the following data:

• IP address of the end device and device ID
• Information about your device, the operating system of your end device or language settings
• Information about your internet provider
• content accessed or logs in which the use of our systems is recorded
• Date and time of access to the website and your approximate location

8. Behavioural data

In order to tailor our offers and services to you and your company in the best possible way, we try to get to know you better. To do this, we collect and use data about your behaviour. It may also be collected on the basis of technical data. This includes, for example, information about your use of electronic communications (e.g. whether and when you have opened an e-mail or clicked on a link). We can also use your other interactions with us as behavioural data, and we can link behavioural data with other data (e.g. with anonymous data from statistical offices) and evaluate this data on a personal and non-personal basis.

9. Preference data

Preference data provides us with information about your likely needs and which services might be of interest to you or your company]. We therefore also process data on your interests and preferences. For this purpose, we can link behavioural data with other data and evaluate this data on a personal and non-personal basis. This allows us to draw conclusions about characteristics, preferences and expected behaviour.

10. Other data

We may also collect data from you in other situations. In connection with official or judicial proceedings, for example, data is collected (such as files, evidence, etc.) that may also relate to you.

11. For what purposes do we process your personal data?

We use the personal data we collect primarily to process your orders and/or enquiries. In addition, we also process your personal data for other purposes in which we (and sometimes third parties) have a legitimate interest corresponding to the purpose, insofar as this is permitted and appears appropriate to us:

• For Communication purposesi.e. to contact you and maintain contact with you. This includes responding to enquiries and contacting you in the event of queries, e.g. by email. In particular, we process your communication and master data for this purpose.
• For the the initiation, conclusion, administration and fulfilment of contracts. In particular, we process technical data, master data, contract data and communication data for this purpose.
• For the Operation ours Websites (www.snifdogs-switzerland.ch). In particular, we process technical data and master data for this purpose.
• For the Customer care and for marketing purposesto inform you about offers. In particular, we process technical data, master data and communication data for this purpose.
• We also process data for Improvement of our services and for product development.
• To ensure IT security and for preventionWe process personal data to monitor the performance of our operations, in particular IT, our website, applications and other platforms, for security purposes, to ensure IT security, to prevent theft, fraud and abuse and for evidence purposes. This includes, for example, the evaluation of system-side recordings of the use of our systems (log data), the prevention, defence against and investigation of cyber attacks and malware attacks, analyses and tests of our networks and IT infrastructures, system and error checks.
• To safeguard domiciliary rights and other measures for IT, building and system security and to protect our employees and other persons and assets belonging to us or entrusted to us (such as network and mail scanners).
• Job application: If you apply for a position with us, we process the relevant data for the purpose of reviewing and assessing the application, carrying out the application process and, in the case of successful applications, for the preparation and conclusion of a corresponding contract. In particular, we process master data and communication data (including data in your application documents).
• To uphold the lawWe may also process personal data in order to enforce claims in court, before or outside of court and before authorities in Switzerland and abroad, or to defend ourselves against claims. Master data and communication data may be processed for this purpose.
• For compliance with legal requirementsThis includes, for example, the processing of complaints and other reports, compliance with orders from a court or authority, measures to detect and clarify abuses and, in general, measures to which we are obliged under applicable law, self-regulation or industry standards. In particular, we may process your master data and communication data for this purpose.
• To the Administration and supportIn order to organise our internal processes efficiently, we process data to the extent necessary for IT administration, accounting or data archiving. In particular, we may process communication and technical data for this purpose.
• We can also transfer data to other purposes process. This includes association management, including association organisation and development, other internal processes and administrative purposes (e.g. management of master data, accounting and archiving), training and educational purposes as well as measures for association management and the protection of other legitimate interests.

12. To whom do we disclose your personal data?

In connection with our processing, we also disclose your personal data to other recipients.

So we give service providers The personal data required for their services. This applies in particular to IT service providers, but also to consulting firms, marketing service providers, etc. Insofar as service providers process personal data as processors, they are obliged to process personal data exclusively in accordance with our instructions and to take measures to ensure data security.

Personal data can also be sent to Other recipients e.g. to courts and authorities in the context of proceedings and statutory information and co-operation obligations.

In individual cases, we may also pass on personal data to other third parties for their own purposes (e.g. other contractual partners), e.g. if you have given us your consent to do so or if we are legally obliged or authorised to do so, e.g. because the contractual partner provides services for you).

13. Do we disclose personal data abroad?

We process personal data mainly in Switzerland, but depending on the case - for example via service providers abroad - in the European Economic Area, the USA or possibly in any country in the world.

If a recipient of personal data (see section5 above) is located in a country without adequate protection of personal data, we contractually oblige the recipient to comply with an adequate level of data protection (we use the revised standard contractual clauses of the European Commission, which are available at  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32021D0914(if applicable, with the necessary adjustments for Switzerland), unless the recipient is already subject to a recognised set of rules to ensure the protection of personal data.

In some cases, we may disclose personal data to a recipient in a country without adequate protection of personal data even without concluding a specific contract, if a legally regulated exception applies: if you have consented to the relevant transfer; if the transfer is directly related to the conclusion or performance of a contract between us and you or between us and our contractual partner, but is in your interest; if the transfer is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims before a court or other competent foreign authority; if the disclosure is necessary for overriding public interests or for the protection of life and limb of you or a third party; if it concerns personal data that you have made accessible to anyone and you have not expressly objected to the processing; or if personal data from a register provided for by law, which is accessible to the public or any person who can prove a legitimate interest, provided that the legal requirements for inspection are met in individual cases.

14. How long do we process personal data?

We store and process your personal data for as long as it is necessary for the purpose of processing (in the case of contracts, generally for the duration of the contractual relationship), as long as we have a legitimate interest in storing it (e.g. to enforce legal claims, for archiving and/or to ensure IT security) and as long as data is subject to a statutory retention obligation (e.g. a ten-year retention period applies to certain data). If there are no legal or contractual obligations to the contrary, we destroy or anonymise your data at the end of the storage or processing period as part of our normal processes.

Master data will generally be stored for 11 years from the last exchange with you, but at least from the end of the contract. This period may be longer if this is necessary for reasons of proof or to comply with legal or contractual requirements or for technical reasons. In the case of pure marketing and advertising contacts, the period is normally much shorter, usually no more than 3 years from the last contact.

As a rule, we store contract data for 11 years from the last contract activity, but at least from the end of the contract. This period may be longer if this is necessary for reasons of proof or to comply with legal or contractual requirements or for technical reasons.

We anonymise or delete your Behavioural and preference dataif they are no longer meaningful for the purposes pursued, usually within 24 months. This period may be longer if this is necessary for reasons of proof or to comply with legal or contractual requirements or for technical reasons.

15. How do we protect your data?

We take appropriate security measures to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of your personal data, to protect it against unauthorised or unlawful processing and to counteract the risks of loss, unintentional modification, unwanted disclosure or unauthorised access. However, security risks cannot generally be completely ruled out; residual risks are unavoidable.

16. What rights do you have?

You have certain rights under applicable data protection law to obtain further information about our data processing and to influence it. These are in particular the following rights:

• Right to informationYou can request further information about our data processing. We are at your disposal for this purpose. You can also submit a request for information if you would like further information and a copy of your data.
• Objection and cancellationYou can object to our data processing and also request that we delete your personal data at any time if we are not obliged to continue processing or retaining this data and if it is not necessary to fulfil the contractual relationship.
• CorrectionYou can correct or complete incorrect or incomplete personal data or have it supplemented by a note of dispute.
• TransmissionYou also have the right to receive the personal data that you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format or to have it transmitted to a third party, provided that the corresponding data processing is based on your consent or is necessary for the fulfilment of the contract.
• RevocationIf we process data on the basis of your consent, you can withdraw your consent at any time. The revocation is only valid for the future, and we reserve the right to continue processing data on another basis in the event of a revocation.

Please note that these rights are subject to legal requirements and restrictions and are therefore not always fully available. In particular, we may need to process and store your personal data in order to fulfil a contract with you, to protect our own legitimate interests, such as the assertion, exercise or defence of legal claims, or to comply with legal obligations. To the extent permitted by law, in particular to protect the rights and freedoms of other data subjects and to protect legitimate interests, we may therefore refuse a data subject's request in whole or in part (e.g. by blacking out certain content relating to third parties or our business secrets).

If you wish to exercise your rights against us, please contact us in writing. You will find our contact details in section 2. We will usually have to verify your identity (e.g. by means of a copy of your ID). You are also free to lodge a complaint against our processing of your data with the competent supervisory authority. The competent supervisory authority in Switzerland is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC). 

17. What else is there to consider

We do not assume that the EU General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") is applicable to data processing by us. However, if the GDPR is exceptionally applicable to certain data processing, this Section 10 shall also apply exclusively for the purposes of the GDPR and the data processing subject to it.

In this case, we base the processing of your personal data in particular on the fact that

• it is necessary for the initiation, conclusion and fulfilment of contracts and their administration and enforcement (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR; see also section 4),
• it is necessary to safeguard our legitimate interests or those of third parties, e.g. for communication with you or third parties, to operate our website, to improve our electronic offerings, for security purposes, for compliance with the law and internal regulations, for our risk management and association management and for other purposes such as administration, evidence and quality assurance, and to safeguard other legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR; see also section 4),
• it is required or permitted by law on the basis of our mandate or our position under the law of the EU or the EEA or an EU member state (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c GDPR) or is necessary to protect your vital interests or those of other natural persons (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. d GDPR);
• you have separately consented to the processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a and Art. 9 para. 2 lit. a GDPR).

Please note that we generally process your personal data for as long as required by our processing purposes (see section 4), the statutory retention periods and our legitimate interests, in particular for documentation and evidence purposes, or if storage is technically necessary (e.g. in the case of backups or document management systems). If there are no legal or contractual obligations or technical reasons to the contrary, we generally delete or anonymise your personal data after the storage or processing period has expired as part of our normal processes and in accordance with our retention policy.

If you do not provide us with certain personal data, this may mean that it is not possible to provide the associated services or conclude a contract. We always specify which of the personal data we require is mandatory.

The provisions set out in section 9 Right to object to the processing of your Person endThe right to object applies in particular to data processing for the purpose of direct marketing.

If you do not agree with our handling of your rights or data protection, please let us know (see contact details in section 2). If you are located in the EEA, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the data protection supervisory authority in your country. A list of authorities in the EEA can be found here: https://edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/board/members_de.

18. How can we change this privacy policy?

This privacy policy is not part of a contract, even if a contract refers to this privacy policy or this privacy policy refers to a contract.

We may unilaterally update this privacy policy at any time.

Status of the privacy policy: 15 January 2025