Slovak Swiss Mountain Dog Club (SKŠSP)
Date: 14.2.2025
Dear members of SKŠSP and fans of Swiss Mountain Dogs,
The Club Committee feels it is important to provide a clear and transparent explanation regarding the temporary restriction of access to certain data on the Club website. This measure was taken following a complaint from a member of the SKŠSP who objected to the publication of her breeding data.
At the same time, for several weeks there has been a discussion on social networks and among Swiss Mountain Dog breeders about the kennel belonging to our club, which has recently become the subject of increased attention. This situation arose after an anonymous website published information about its breeding activities, referring to data from our club’s website.
Transparency of data in the club database
Transparency of our offspring on the club website has never been an issue for our club, nor have there been any privacy concerns raised by club members. The launch of the new club website in 2023 was preceded by several months of preparation of supporting documents, especially the breeding database. We drew on our own records on the previous website, on club materials such as dog rating cards, and supplemented it with data from the Union of Kennel Clubs Studbook. We stand behind the data, which was transparent and until recently available on our website, it is true and corresponds to reality. The administrator of the website managed to combine data from several databases into one “readable” whole. This was a technically demanding process that required a huge amount of work in the webmaster’s private time.
Minor clerical errors may have occurred in the processing of such a large amount of data. Members were invited to check their data and any errors reported were corrected immediately. We apologise to anyone affected by any inaccuracies and also reiterate our call on all club members to check their data regularly.
We reject claims that data in the club database has been purposely listed as incorrect, erroneous or even falsified.
Why was the database temporarily disabled?
Until 10.2.2025 the breeder concerned had no objection to the publication of personal data on the website of the SKŠSP. Subsequently, however, she requested the removal of data on the number of litters of her kennel, the dogs owned and any other information about her breeding activities.
This request raised the question of whether information about litters and dogs is personal information. The Committee had repeatedly contacted the Office for Personal Data Protection on this issue. Despite an enquiry to the Data Protection Authority, to date we have not been provided with an answer as to whether this data falls within the definition of personal data. Based on consultation with the SKJ lawyer regarding the area of data protection, we believe that the publication of data on dog breeding on the club website is fully in accordance with the SKŠP statutes as well as with the general practice of cynological organizations. Similar data is normally publicly available in kennel club databases and does not contravene data protection regulations (GDPR) as it relates to breeding, not private individuals, and is also a legitimate interest of the club.
The publication of the anonymous website with the breeding data of the breeder concerned was followed by strong protests and her request for the database to be modified. However, the breeding database is a single entity made up of several sub-databases and does not allow for the individual removal of one kennel’s data without disrupting the entire record.
For this reason, the database has been temporarily shut down.
This is by no means a concession to individual requirements, but was a temporary technical solution until an optimal solution could be found.
Planned actions of the club committee
The club committee is working on a solution that will be balanced for all members. This work is currently being communicated with our website vendor. Please be patient, we cannot estimate the duration of this work at this time and we hope to be able to manage it financially.
Subsequently, our website will be modified to be divided into two parts:
- Public section – accessible to the general public, containing basic information about the club and the breed.
- Members section – accessible only to club members, where all information will be available as it was before the database was closed. In cases where members do not agree to the name of their kennel being published, their kennel details will be anonymised.
This step will ensure that breeding transparency is maintained, while at the same time allowing for better protection of members’ data. The Committee’s aim is to ensure that the situation that led to the shutting down of the database is never repeated.
The club’s attitude to breeding ethics
The Club Committee strongly rejects any practices that, while formally complying with the regulations, are on the borderline of ethical standards and may be detrimental to the reputation of the Club and our four breeds.
Breeding activity under the SKŠSP has two levels: the first is the observance of the club’s breeding regulations, the second is the moral and ethical aspect of breeding. The Chief Breeding Adviser is responsible for controlling compliance with the breeding regulations. The Club Committee notes that these rules are checked by the Chief Adviser and that the breeders comply with them – albeit in some cases at their limits. We are aware that the rating committee has been more benevolent in certain situations, but it has never knowingly rated outside of the FCI standard, as evidenced by the long term consistency of judging.
As far as the moral and ethical side of breeding is concerned, the Club Committee currently has no mechanisms to regulate or enforce it directly. Some breeders exploit loopholes in the regulations or operate at the boundaries of the regulations. Different FCI member countries have different breeding regulations, which means that a bird that would not pass at our bonitation can be kept in another FCI member country without any problems. It is true that some breeders take advantage of the more benevolent breeding rules abroad, where the standards are less strict. The SKŠSP distances itself from such practices and will continue to promote ethical breeding principles that ensure the health and quality of our breeds.
Protection of collective interests and breeding ethics
The Club Committee recognizes the importance of balancing the rights of individuals with the collective interests of members. The SKŠSP has always supported the ethical and responsible breeding of Swiss Mountain Dogs and will therefore not prioritise the demands of individuals at the expense of the transparency and integrity of the breed.
At the same time, we are aware of the need to strengthen rules and mechanisms to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future. Therefore, at the next membership meeting, the club committee will propose a series of measures to better control the ethical standards of the breed. These measures will include a proposal to modify the breeding regulations, stricter retention conditions, stricter regulation of matings and health examinations for all four breeds, as well as the obligation to comply with the ÚKK Code of Ethics. This code will be posted on the club website and incorporated into the SKŠSP bylaws.
Club members will be informed of these proposals well in advance and will have the opportunity to participate actively in the debate.
Thank you for your support and understanding.
SKŠSP Committee
