Club News and Events
The James River Kennel Club is an American Kennel Club (AKC) member-club representing the Lynchburg, Virginia area including Bedford, Amherst, Appomattox, Nelson, Campbell and Pittsylvania counties.
JRKC members are active in conformation, obedience, agility, and field events, providing educational and training opportunities to members of the purebred dog fancy as well as educating the public about the sport of purebred dogs.
Upcoming Events
4–8, 2010 Mountain Valley
Dog Show Cluster
Salem Civic Center, Salem, Virginia
26, 2010
Conformation, Obedience and Rally Obedience Match; CGC Testing
Boonsboro, Va.
Club Meetings
All meetings are held at 7 p.m. at the Quality Inn, 3125 Albert Lankford Drive at Odd Fellows Road, Lynchburg, Virginia, 24501
Board Meeting
General Meeting:
Cluster preparation
General Meeting:
Board nominations and Obedience Trial Prep
Board Meeting
General Meeting:
Annual Meeting and Election
Board Meeting
General Meeting
4–8, 2010
Mountain Valley Dog Show Cluster
Salem Civic Center, Salem, Virginia
Entries close July 21, 2010. | View/Download Cluster Premium
JRKC Conformation, Obedience and Rally Obedience Match
Canine Good Citizen testing
** Ribbons * Rosettes * 50/50 Raffle **
Boonsboro Ruritan Club, 1499 Coffee Road, Lynchburg, VA 24503
Complete Match Information | Match Entry Form
Past Events
2009 Mountain Valley Dog Show Cluster, Salem, Virginia
Another Mountain Valley cluster at the Salem Civic Center, packed with activities for exhibitors of all ages, has come and gone. Five days of dog shows are sponsored annually in the Roanoke Valley by James River, Roanoke and New River Valley Kennel Clubs. During this week exhibitors from age nine through the retired, professional as well as owner-handlers come from all over the county in motor homes, trucks and vans to exhibit their dogs. Their ultimate goal, a chance to earn points toward an American Kennel Club Championship as well as to hold or advance their dog’s point ranking.
Despite the economy Junior Showmanship entries, like regular class entries, were not down as has happened to other clusters and independent shows across the country. It was another extremely successful week with the Juniors being most appreciative of the events that kept them involved and working together as a team.
From the rosettes that were awarded daily for each class placement to the interactive sportsmanship theme at the pizza party, scavenger hunt and photo cakes, each junior expressed their appreciation for our efforts in making this one of, if not, the premier cluster they attend each year. The parents were most appreciative of our programs and hard work as well.
These juniors are our future in the sport of dogs. They are very intuitive and grateful for what we do for them. On Sunday, Jessie Sheves presented me a stained glass Springer for my continued annual work with the program. In addition, the entire group of Juniors signed a card of appreciation which they presented on Sunday. I was very touched by their appreciation of my commitment to this program.
It is with the assistance of a few Junior parents and the huge support of several of our club members, Karen Baldwin, Christy Roberts and Ruth Beetow, that contributed to our efforts to ensure that everything came off without a hitch.
Thank you James River as well as the Roanoke and New River Valley clubs for allowing us to continue the annual programs for our Juniors . . . our Future.
Annual Holiday Shelter Donations
James River Kennel Club is committed to the support of regional shelters with donations of food and supplies. We salute the volunteer workers in Lynchburg and surrounding area shelters working to place surrendered, abandoned and abused companion animals in forever homes.
Each year in December we proportionally distribute food and supplies to regional shelters according to our members’ city or county residence. For example, last year in Amherst County alone we donated
330 lbs. Purina dog chow
220 lbs. Purina cat chow
2 cases canned dog food
28 lbs. Milk Bones
36 rolls paper towels
200 lbs. kitty litter
2 gal. Pine Sol
5 large jugs laundry detergent
2 /90 ct. boxes yard trash bags
2-6, 2007
Mountain Valley Cluster Sponsors Annual Canine Health Clinics
for the Benefit of Virginia/Maryland Regional Veterinary School
Over the past four years during the Mountain Valley Cluster dog shows held the first week of August at Salem, Virginia’s Civic Center, James River Kennel Club has sponsored several canine health clinics. Eye and heart clinics have been held to enable exhibitors to have their dogs checked for anomalies. These clinics not only aid breeders and owners in securing clean bills of health and supply helpful information to use in their breeding programs but also offer financial support to select educational programs at Virginia Tech’s VA/Maryland Regional Veterinary School.
This year a microchip clinic was added which enabled breeders and pet owners identify their dogs in addition to supporting a vet school employee in an attempt to attend an upcoming medical seminar.
Because Virginia Tech is a state supported college, there are no budgetary funds readily available to send students or professors to seminars and clinics held to further educate, brainstorm new ideas and disseminate research findings. Monies received from the eye, heart and microchip clinics help with this endeavor.
Over the past four years monies earned from these clinics have netted the vet school approximately $10,000 in educational support funds.
A huge thank you to Debbie Straw for spearheading these annual events for her alma mater and to her annual faithful JRKC supporters for the time invested in offering their assistance to the veterinary community’s canine educational endeavors.
JRKC Supports Local Law Enforcement K9 Unit with Gift of Kevlar Vests
In recognition of the valuable role K9 partners play within the law enforcement community and the dangers they often face, a number of measures to ensure their protection have been taken. These include the outfitting of these dogs with Kevlar or bulletproof vests to protect them from assault.
The duties of these highly trained K9’s are numerous and varied, including assisting officers on search warrants, school searches, missing or endangered person searches, assaults and robberies within Campbell and surrounding counties.
When James River Kennel Club became aware of the need to provide valuable police K9’s with Kevlar vests, our response was immediate and unanimous.
Our November 2006 program featured as guest speakers, Deputies Bill Elliott, and Mike Garrett of Campbell County, along with their K9 partners, Rooster and Onyx, the recipients of those Kevlar vests.