Clay Maddox remembers his dog “up in Heaven now”

  • Clay Maddox, age 9, of Morganton, stands next to his lemonade stand in front of his home off Morganton Highway, where he is raising funds for Ocoee Animal Hospital in honor of his recently passed German Shepherd, Jake, pictured in the frame.
    Clay Maddox, age 9, of Morganton, stands next to his lemonade stand in front of his home off Morganton Highway, where he is raising funds for Ocoee Animal Hospital in honor of his recently passed German Shepherd, Jake, pictured in the frame.
  • Clay Maddox and his dog, Jake, playing in the snow. Jake died June 7 after being shot by a family neighbor.
    Clay Maddox and his dog, Jake, playing in the snow. Jake died June 7 after being shot by a family neighbor.
  • Clay Maddox, age 9, of Morganton, shows his necklace. A gift from his aunt, the necklace contains the ashes of his German Shepherd, Jake, an angel wing charm and Jake’s name.
    Clay Maddox, age 9, of Morganton, shows his necklace. A gift from his aunt, the necklace contains the ashes of his German Shepherd, Jake, an angel wing charm and Jake’s name.

    BY LAUREN JENKINS

     Clay Maddox, 9, of Morganton, has started a lemonade stand in front of his home off Morganton Highway to raise funds for Ocoee Animal Hospital in honor of his recently passed German Shepherd, Jake. 

    Jake passed away June 7 after he was shot by the family’s neighbor, Charles Ray Geyer. Clay and his one-year-old brother were near Jake when he was shot. 

    Clay, who will turn 10 years old in September was asked why he decided to start a lemonade stand. 

    Clay said, “I really wanted to raise money for my pet dog that is up in Heaven now, and pay for the vet bills for other people.” 

    Ocoee Animal Hospital, located at 88 All Creatures Place, Blue Ridge, has set up a fund in Jake’s name for locals who need help paying their vet bills. “To give people a little something to lean on,” said Clay’s mother, Tiffany Maddox. 

    As of 1 p.m., Thursday, July 22, Clay had already raised about $600.

    Clay, who will begin fourth grade at East Fannin Elementary, plans to be out selling his lemonade Wednesday through Friday, starting around 11 a.m. and only heading inside when he is sold out. On his first day, he made 20 gallons of lemonade, and sold out around 4 p.m. that afternoon. His second day, he made 12 gallons of lemonade. Clay is selling his lemonade with ice for $1, and is also selling chocolate chip cookies three for $1. 

    Clay and his father, Earl Maddox, placed American flags in their yard topped with three gold balloons spelling out “Justice for Jake,” as gold was Jake’s (and Clay’s) favorite color. The flags make it easy to spot while driving on Morganton Highway. 

    “It has been real fun to watch people go by, and then come back,” Shari Baker, Clay’s grandmother, said. 

    Clay plans to be back out today, Wednesday, July 28, through the rest of the week before starting back school. 

    (Editor’s note: Charles Geyer, 65, of 50 Barker Lane, Morganton, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Cruelty to Animals and two county of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree in conjunction with the shooting death of Jake. He admitted to shooting the German Shepherd when it approached him. He was released under bond).