A woman is refusing to remove her huge snarling werewolf statue from her front garden after the council told her to take it down.
It stands at 9.5ft (2.9m) in height and is named Phil.
The werewolf stands next to a sign reading: “Get off my lawn.”
Mary Simmons put it in her front garden for Halloween last year.
- Advertisement -
She decided to leave Phil on her lawn as his platform is pinned into the ground outside her home in Piqua near Dayton, Ohio, US.
She told WKEF-TV: “He’s kind of become my house mascot.
“I kind of look at it as a security thing.
Who wants to break into a house with a 9.5ft werewolf sitting outside?
“I know I wouldn’t.”
- Advertisement -
The homeowner said she has been dressing the statue in different costumes to mark various public holidays, including a patriotic outfit ahead of Independence Day on 4 July.
Mary said: “We decided, you know what, let’s make him seasonal for every holiday.
“He’s Fourth of July ready — Veterans’ Day and Flag Day.”
- Advertisement -
Mary even opened dedicated pages for Phil on Facebook and Twitter that have already racked up 2,500 followers.
However, while most residents have been receptive to the fanged structure’s presence in her garden, at least one neighbour filed a complaint with the council.
As a result, Mary was sent a warning by the local authorities asking her to “please take down the seasonal wolf decoration”.
After she refused, council officials said they have no current plans to enforce its removal.
She said the complaint “p*ssed” her off, adding: “He gets dressed, I mean, he’s not even naked.
“Just let me have my werewolf. That’s all I want, I’m not asking for a lot.”
Neighbour Al Cantrell told local media: “It doesn’t bother me. What the City is doing is wrong.”
However, resident Emily Cavanaugh said: “I think it’s ugly. It needs to come down.”
Read the full article here