Everyone has a prized possession they love more than anything else, whether it be a new car or an expensive piece of jewellery – but for this particular woman, it's a ginormous werewolf statue.
With a passion for Halloween, the Ohio native decided to celebrate the occasion by purchasing the nearly 10ft beast, and while it made for a fantastic festive decoration, it appears she's grown rather attached, as it's still standing tall in her garden now.
Mary Simmons of Dayton has decided to keep the mythical creature in her backyard despite a warning from the city council.
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In an exclusive interview with WKEF-TV, she opened up about why she cares so deeply about her new pal, revealing that he actually plays the role of a guard dog — or a scarecrow, depending on what way you look at it.
She said: "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 9.5-foot werewolf sitting outside of it? I know I wouldn't."
And while Halloween has long gone, Mary intends to keep her werewolf current by dressing him in various outfits depending on the season.
The American added: "We're going to get a big Hawaiian shirt and maybe some sunglasses."
While not everyone has warmed to the fearsome predator, named Phil, the public certainly has.
Over 2000 individuals around the world have started following his Facebook page.
In bulk, the neighbours have found the towering figure to be a humorous presence in the area, but at least one concerned resident has made a formal complaint to the city of Dayton, which issued Mary a warning.
However, city officials claim they do not intend to enforce the werewolf's removal at this stage.
Mary, who wants Phil around for the foreseeable, is going out of her way to ensure that he doesn't accidentally injure anyone.
She stressed: "I don't want somebody walking by and his head falls off, hitting them. I try to treat people like I want to be treated, and I wouldn't want that to happen to me."
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