Arlington County is trying to take my mural
and turn it into their sign.
My name is Kim Houghton I'm the owner of Wag More Dogs,
a daycare boarding and
grooming facility in Arlington, Virginia.
I was inspired by this dog park to create this business,
and the mural is really a gift to
the community.  I put it there so that the
people walking past here would have something
nice besides a huge brick
wall
to look at.  The county didn't react to the mural for
quite some time. It was finished in May and
they responded in August.  They immediately
blocked my building permit until I put the
blue tarp on it.
Arlington County officials said
for the mural not to be considered a sign
it may depict anything you like except something
to do with dogs, bones, paw prints, pets, people
walking their dogs, et cetera.  If I painted
over the dogs and turned them in the dragons,
or rabbits, or cats it would no longer be considered
a sign.
I really at this point, I don't want to give
into the county because it's a violation of
my freedom of speech.  
-The First Amendment doesn't
allow government bureaucrats to play art
critic
and that's why the Institute for Justice is
fighting on behalf of Kim
and countless other entrepreneurs like her.
Together with the Institute
for Justice I will win this fight for free
speech.
