OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) -A life-sized statue of a dog who survived a brutal attack was unveiled today in Ocala. State leaders, residents, and animal lovers gathered in downtown Ocala for the unveiling of a statue of Molly.
Molly was brutally stabbed and beaten with a wooden bat in 2014. Two years later, Marion County commissioners passed “Molly’s law”. Stone Garden Sculptures
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“When he got out of jail, he wanted to go back to owning animals and we thought that’s a dumb idea,” said David Moore, former Marion County Commissioner. “Linda Littlewolf came and she mentioned what was going on, so we got together and we developed a law.”
The law requires animal abusers to be put on a registry, preventing them from adopting or working with animals in Marion County. To view the registry, click here.
“If it’s adopted on a statewide, then a nationwide basis,” said Peggy Hoyt, an attorney animal advocate. “It will inform the public, retailers, sellers, organizations that adopt animals of people who have been committed of animal cruelty crimes.”
Nilda Comas, an Italian artist created a marble life-size statue of Molly within a year, including indications of her stab wounds.
“It came from Carrara, the mountains in the Alps of Italy. It catches people’s attention and they want to know why it was put there,” said Comas.
SPCA of Ocala’s president and Molly’s owner, Lilly Baron said the statue was in the making before Molly died of cancer earlier this year. Baron said her mission is to educate people and take the law statewide and beyond.
“Not only that but where it’s going to take us as far as protecting the animals, getting the animal abuse registry passed statewide. And you know once we get that passed statewide, nothing says that we can’t go nationwide.
The statue will be located on the corner of SE 3rd Street across from the Ocala Downtown Market. Baron said they’ll be another unveiling of a porcelain statue of Molly at Chi Animal Hospital where she was taken care of before she died.
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