With the ESAA National events fast approaching, we want to make you aware of an exciting prize in the Field Events raffle. Whether you are a hunter, think you might like to learn to shoot, or just want to support the field events please consider buying a ticket or two for the raffle. You can e-mail, text, or message any of the other people listed. You need not be present to win. The Committee will find someone to get your prize home to you.
We have been made aware of a new phishing scam and want to assist you and your Club members in ensuring you do not fall victim to this. Therefore, we are re-sending a message we’ve previously distributed and ask that you circulate it amongst your members as the best prevention for these scams is education.
Please make sure that anyone in your Club who has access to Club accounts is aware that they should never disburse any money due to an unexpected email without first verbally verifying with the presumed sender of the email. So, for example, if you receive an email that says it’s from the Club President asking for money to be wired to a third party, do not send any money until you personally have spoken to the Club President about the request.
It is also very important that everyone in your organization knows the warning signs of a fraudulent email. These emails may not only ask for funds, but they may provide links or attachments that install malware or coerce the recipient into providing their login information. This infographic provides a great description of email “red flags”:
Please note that although these kinds of attacks are often referred to as “hacks”, they are actually perpetrated using publicly available information, e.g., Club Officer information, which can be easily obtained using a simple Google search. “Hack” implies that someone was able to break into a secured system and gain access to information that is not publicly available (for example, registration information, personal information, credit card information).
Let us assure you that the AKC goes to great lengths to ensure the security of this information. We have a formal security program in place, including a third-party audit by a certified CyberSecurity Assessor. We have threat protection systems in place, and mandatory security education for AKC staff, taken annually. While no company can proclaim to be 100% secure (just ask Target, Yahoo or Sony), AKC’s technology team considers security to be a top priority and works feverishly to protect the data of the company and of our members, customers, partners and constituents.
While our specific security details are necessarily confidential, please feel free to reach out to William Hile directly (Willliam.Hile@akc.org) if you have any questions or concerns.
ESAA’s
Board of Directors has recently heard concerns that dogs are being flown
to competitions as service dogs without certification or without a
person with a disability. Since this practice reflects badly on our
breed and the sport, we thought it expedient to share AKC’s Canine
Legislation Position Statement on the Misuse of Service Dogs with our
membership:
AKC Canine Legislation Position Statement
MISUSE OF SERVICE DOGS
Service dogs are defined as those that are individually
trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. The
AKC® strongly supports public accommodations that allow individuals with
disabilities to use service dogs.
The AKC strongly condemns characterizing dogs as service
animals when they are not, or attempting to benefit from a dog’s service
dog status when the individual using the dog is not a person with a
disability.
Characterizing
dogs as service animals when they are not, or taking advantage of a
service dog’s status by an individual without the disability, is strongly
condemned by AKC and would be a clear violation of ESAA’s Code of Ethics.
Thank
you for your cooperation and understanding of the seriousness of this
issue.
