By Tim Binnall
An Ohio woman who refused to remove a nearly 10-foot-tall werewolf statue from her front yard has been granted a reprieve from local officials, who now say that the menacing piece can remain in place. The strange case came to light last week when Mary Simmons was informed by the city of Piqua that someone had filed a complaint about the giant lycanthrope that stood outside of her residence. Sharing her story with a local TV station, the homeowner explained that she bought the statue this past Halloween and, once the holiday had passed, opted to leave the werewolf where it was as it had "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 9.5-foot werewolf sitting outside of it? I know I wouldn't," she mused about the piece that she had dubbed 'Phil.'" However, it would seem that someone in the community was not a fan of the faux creature, which led to her receiving a warning from local officials about possible safety concerns surrounding the statue. The sheer weirdness of the giant werewolf outside her home and Simmons' refusal to remove the piece led to her story going viral over the weekend. Fortunately, it would appear that any potential bureaucratic battle over the statue was short-lived as the city of Piqua has now reportedly indicated that Phil may remain in place as long as it does not pose a risk to other residents.