The owners of a small business in the seaside resort community of Ogunquit are getting national attention over their dispute with the town.

Dave and Sara LeBlanc were issued fines for installing half a dozen large tin roosters in front of their home, which town officials say was a violation of the local code governing signage.

But the LeBlancs say the colorful ornaments provide comfort for their autistic daughter. And now the family is winning support for their cause, one tin rooster at a time.

Large tin roosters decorate the entrance to the home of David and Sarah Leblanc, which is attached to their breakfast restaurant, The Omelette Factory, at left, in Ogunquit, Maine on July 22. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)

One morning this week Dave LeBlanc loaded a six-foot-tall rooster purchased at the local Tractor Supply into the back of his Jeep. He was preparing to plant it on the property of Ogunquit resident Kathy Kotakis, who wants to make a statement.

“It’s all about supporting community and getting the message out. It’s about love,” Kotakis said.

Kotakis is among a growing number of residents who are showing their support for the LeBlancs, who were fined by the town for installing the tin roosters in front of their house.

Sara LeBlanc said their 6-year-old autistic daughter Pyper sees the looming lawn figures as her friends and calls them all Roosty Roost.

“Kids need that structure and routine,” LeBlanc said. “She hides behind them waiting for the bus in school season. It’s her safe space.”

The LeBlancs’ home sits on Route 1, just next door to their restaurant called the Omelette Factory. The town says the roosters run afoul of local codes governing signage.

The LeBlancs say they were able to get a variance to keep two roosters by the front porch, but were fined again for failing to properly attach them to the house.

As the dispute has unfolded, Kotakis and other residents and business owners have been asking Dave LeBlanc to install similar roosters on their own properties as a show of solidarity.

“Now it’s a movement,” Dave said. “Now it has intent, energy and purpose and that feels good.”

David LeBlanc sets up a rooster in front of the Memorial Library in Ogunquit, Maine on July 23. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)

The LeBlancs call it “the Rooster Movement” and have launched a Facebook page with a map detailing the location of every rooster in town. Dave says there are at least 100 now and the map extends to every state in New England.

The LeBlancs say they’re done playing chicken with the town. Their mission now is to raise awareness for autism, to establish a foundation and to convince local officials to rethink how the codes might need adjustment to accommodate more than physical disabilities.

“We should be an inclusive town and they talk about being inclusive and everybody matters and there’s obviously a lot of Pride flags,” Sara said. “So we have gotta be inclusive of all.”

Maine Public has sent repeated requests to town officials in Ogunquit seeking comment on the issue, without a response.

Dave LeBlanc said the demand continues to grow and getting them at Tractor Supply and planting them has become almost overwhelming. At times he wonders whether he can keep it up.

“Then I remember all the people reaching out who say, ‘You can’t stop.’ These kids don’t have a voice and this is an amazing wildfire that can raise money and benefit them,” Dave said. “So Sara and I say ‘OK, here we go. Let’s go plant another Roosty Roost.'”

For supporters of the Rooster Movement, that is something to crow about.

This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by Maine Public.