Privacy Policy

SOUTHERN OBEDIENCE DOG SCHOOL

Last updated: 18 April 2026
56 Soden Road, Bangholme VIC 3175
Email: saracenstaffords2@gmail.com
Website: www.southernobedience.com.au

Southern Obedience Dog Club is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose and safeguard your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

By using our website or becoming a member of the club, you consent to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our website or provide us with your personal information.

1. Who We Are

Southern Obedience Dog Club (SODC) is an incorporated, member-owned, not-for-profit community club based at 56 Soden Road, Bangholme, Victoria, Australia. We have been providing dog obedience training in Melbourne’s south east since 1958. The club is incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (Vic).

2. What Personal Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

Your full name
Phone number and email address
Postal address
Details about your dog, including breed, age and vaccination status
Membership application details
Any other information you choose to provide when contacting us or submitting a form

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

IP address and browser type
Pages visited on our website and time spent on each page
Referring website or search terms used to find us
Device type and operating system

This information is collected using cookies, Google Analytics and similar technologies. It is used in aggregate and generally does not identify you personally.

2.3 Information From Third Parties

Reviews submitted via Google Business Profile
Enquiries or messages made via our Facebook page or other social media channels

3. How We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information in the following ways:

When you complete and submit a contact or enquiry form on our website
When you email us directly
When you complete a membership application form at the club or via download
When you register as a new member on a training day
When you interact with us via Google Business Profile, Facebook or other social media
Automatically through your use of our website via cookies and analytics tools

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

To respond to your enquiry or request for information about the club
To process and manage your club membership
To communicate with you about training schedules, club events, trials and notices
To maintain accurate membership and dog registration records
To comply with our obligations under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (Vic)
To improve our website and club communications
To publish club results, titles and member achievements where members have consented
To maintain business and financial records

5. Disclosure of Your Information

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information to third parties. We may disclose your information in the following limited circumstances:

5.1 Club Volunteers and Committee Members

Relevant member information may be accessible to club committee members and authorised volunteers for the purposes of managing membership, training classes and club operations. All committee members and volunteers are expected to handle member information responsibly and confidentially.

5.2 Affiliated Bodies

We may share relevant information with Dogs Victoria or other affiliated peak bodies where required for trial entries, title registrations or compliance with affiliated body requirements.

5.3 Government and Regulatory Bodies

We may be required to disclose information to Consumer Affairs Victoria, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission or other government agencies where required by law or regulation.

5.4 Required by Law

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order or regulatory authority.

5.5 Club Dissolution or Transfer

In the unlikely event of club dissolution or merger with another club, member information may be transferred in accordance with the club’s constitution and applicable law.

6. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to improve your browsing experience and help us understand how visitors use our site.

We use Google Analytics to collect non-personally identifiable information about website usage, including pages visited, time on site and general geographic location. This data is used to improve our website content and user experience.

You can disable cookies through your browser settings, however this may affect some functionality of the website. By continuing to use our website with cookies enabled, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this policy.

7. Google Services

Our website integrates with several Google services, including:

Google Analytics — for website usage statistics
Google Maps — for displaying our location
Google Business Profile — for displaying reviews and club information

Use of these Google services is subject to Google’s own Privacy Policy, available at privacy.google.com. We encourage you to review Google’s policy if you have concerns about how Google handles data.

8. Photos and Member Images

The club may take photographs and videos at training sessions, trials and club events for use on the Website, social media and club publications. By participating in club activities, members acknowledge that such images may be taken.

If you do not wish for images of yourself or your dog to be published, please advise the club in writing at any time and we will make reasonable efforts to accommodate your request. Members may also indicate their preference on their membership application form.

9. Data Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These measures include:

Secure storage of physical membership records
Password protection and access controls on digital systems
Use of reputable third-party platforms for website hosting and form submissions
SSL encryption on our website (https://)

While we take reasonable precautions, no data transmission over the internet is completely secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of information transmitted to us online.

10. How Long We Retain Your Information

We retain personal information for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. In particular:

Membership records — retained for the duration of membership and for a reasonable period thereafter
Financial and fee records — retained for a minimum of 7 years as required by the Australian Taxation Office
Trial and title records — retained as part of the club’s permanent historical records
Website analytics data — retained in accordance with Google Analytics data retention settings
Enquiry records — retained for a reasonable period to assist with follow-up contact

11. Access and Correction of Your Information

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

Request access to the personal information we hold about you
Request correction of any inaccurate, incomplete or out-of-date information

To make an access or correction request, please contact us using the details at the end of this policy. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with our obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

In some circumstances we may be unable to provide access, for example where providing access would unreasonably impact the privacy of another member. If we decline your request, we will explain the reason.

12. Complaints

If you believe we have not handled your personal information in accordance with this policy or the Australian Privacy Principles, please contact us in the first instance using the details below. We take privacy complaints seriously and will investigate your concern and respond within a reasonable timeframe.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

Website: www.oaic.gov.au

Phone: 1300 363 992

Post: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001

13. Children’s Privacy

Junior membership is available for members under 18 years of age. Where personal information is collected from or about a junior member, we require parent or guardian consent. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without such consent.

If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child without appropriate consent, please contact us and we will promptly address the matter.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology or legal obligations. The updated policy will be published on our website with a revised ‘Last updated’ date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Continued use of our website after changes are published constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns or requests relating to this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

Club: Southern Obedience Dog Club
Address: 56 Soden Road, Bangholme VIC 3175
Email: saracenstaffords2@gmail.com
Website: www.southernobedience.com.au

This Privacy Policy was last updated on 18 April 2026 and applies to all personal information collected by Southern Obedience Dog Club.