IJ Fights to "Unleash" Free Speech
Arlington, Va., entrepreneur Kim Houghton, owner of Wag More Dogs canine boarding and grooming facility in Arlington, wasn't looking for a fight. All she wanted to do was build goodwill with dog owners by creating a fun and whimsical mural on the back wall of her business, which faces the Shirlington Dog Park. Kim spent $4,000 to commission an outdoor mural of cartoon dogs, bones and paw prints to be painted on the back wall of her business. As a long-time user of the park herself, Kim saw the mural as her gift to the community.
But now Arlington County officials are trying to turn Kim's mural into their government-issued sign. Represented by the Institute for Justice, she has filed a First Amendment lawsuit to defend her rights and the rights of all entrepreneurs to express themselves.