Ohio woman refuses to remove 9.5-foot werewolf from her yard

June 19 (UPI) -- An Ohio woman said she has no plans to remove a nearly 10-foot-tall werewolf statue from her yard, despite a warning from the city.

Mary Simmons of Dayton said she bought the 9 1/2-foot werewolf as a Halloween decoration last October, and soon decided to leave it up all year.

"He's kind of become my house mascot," Simmons told WKEF-TV. "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."

Simmons has been dressing the wolf in various costumes to represent seasons and holidays.

"We're going to get a big Hawaiian shirt and maybe some sunglasses," she said.

The werewolf, which Simmons dubbed Paul, now has his own Facebook page with over 2,000 followers.

Simmons said neighbors have largely been welcoming of Phil's presence in her yard, but at least one resident sent an anonymous complaint to the city of Dayton, which issued Simmons a warning.

City officials said they have no plans to further enforce the werewolf's removal at this time. Simmons said she plans to keep Phil in her yard and she has taken measures to ensure his presence is safe for neighbors.

"I don't want somebody walking by and his head falls off, hitting them," Simmons said. "I try to treat people like I want to be treated and I wouldn't want that to happen to me."