Despite being instructed by the council to take down her imposing 9.5ft snarling werewolf statue, a woman is standing her ground and refusing to remove it from her front garden.
Dubbed Phil, the werewolf statue stands tall next to a sign that reads “Get off my lawn.” Mary Simmons initially placed the statue in her garden as part of her Halloween decorations last year but decided to leave it there permanently as it is securely anchored to the ground outside her home in Piqua near Dayton, Ohio, US.
Mary sees Phil as a sort of house mascot and a security feature, deterring potential intruders. She stated, “Who wants to break into a house with a 9.5ft werewolf sitting outside? I know I wouldn’t.”
To mark different holidays, Mary has been dressing up the statue in various costumes, including patriotic attire for Independence Day and Veterans’ Day. She has even created dedicated social media pages for Phil, amassing 2,500 followers on Facebook and Twitter.
While most residents have embraced the presence of the fanged structure in Mary’s garden, one neighbour filed a complaint with the council. In response, Mary received a warning asking her to remove the seasonal werewolf decoration. However, she adamantly refused, and the council has currently no plans to enforce its removal.
Although the complaint has annoyed Mary, she firmly stands by her decision, stating, “Just let me have my werewolf. That’s all I want, I’m not asking for a lot.” Neighbour Al Cantrell supports Mary’s stance, believing that the council’s actions are unjust. On the other hand, resident Emily Cavanaugh finds the statue unattractive and believes it should be taken down. The ongoing dispute surrounding the werewolf statue has sparked mixed reactions among the local community.
