Top dogs

The Hazel and JW Ruby Community Center in Morgantown, W.Va., was filled with anticipation – and quite a bit of tail wagging – this week, as hundreds of humans and their show dogs gathered inside to compete in the Mountaineer Kennel Club’s annual Black Diamond Cluster dog show, hosted together with the South Hills Kennel Club.

More than 700 people from across the country, and their dogs, of course, competed each day in the 2025 contests. Those competitors included several Washington County owner-handlers and their four-legged athletes, like Howard West and his American Eskimo Jake, of Amity; Cecil’s Annette Mucci and her grand champion basset hound Princess; and Cynthia Rossi and her Skye terrier Mr. Wonderful, of South Strabane.



The dog show, which is free, open to the public and a woofing good time, kicked off Thursday morning and wraps Sunday, April 27. For more on the annual dog show, visit the club’s website ..