ERIN LALE - Nevada State Assembly 29
* Do you or anyone in your immediate family own a dog, cat, ferret, etc.?
I have a Bengal Cat. Beni-Wan Cat-Obi was a street cat in Maui. His breed is banned in
Hawaii. He was lucky to be picked up by the no-kill shelter 9th Life Hawaii, which rehomes
Bengals to states where they are legal. If he had been picked up by a public,
tax-supported shelter, he would have been destroyed as unadoptable. That is just one of
the many ways in which private charity is superior to public tax-supported institutions. If
elected, I will work to make sure that Nevada remains a state in which people can own any
breed of cat or dog they want, including Bengals and Pit Bulls.
* Do you or anyone in your immediate family hunt, with or without a dog?
Not currently, but I have fond childhood memories of my dad and grandpa bringing home
pheasant for Thanksgiving every year. Grandpa Lale had an excellent gun dog, Queen. I
hope that someday when I marry, my future husband will bring home pheasant for me to
cook.
* Do you support any animal rescue organizations or shelters?
I support 9th Life Hawaii, the shelter from which I got my cat.
* Do you philosophically support any animal rights or animal protection organizations? If
so,please identify the organizations.
I philosophically support the privately funded no kill shelter movement, which provides
an alternative to publicly funded animal shelters. I believe in preventing the tax-funded
euthanization of healthy dogs and cats.
* Do any animal rights or animal protection organizations endorse you as a candidate or
financially support your campaign?
No.
* Should Spaying or Neutering of an animal be controlled by the government through
legislation or should it be left between a veterinarian and their client to decide?
That should be left between owner and vet, or supplier and potential purchaser/ adopter.
I don't agree with the recent move to require neutering of animals at an age when it could
adversely affect their development.
* Do you believe that animal owners should have their status as owners changed to the
status of guardians? As a guardian you do not own your animals, you are strictly a
caretaker?
That's an issue I would have to research more to see what impact it would have. On the
plus side, it may be that it would be easier for pet owners to get compensated in a lawsuit
for the death of a pet if the law reflected emotional attachment and not just monetary
value, since most mixed breed adult dogs and cats have very little resale value. But I'm
not sure if that wording change would actually accomplish that. I haven't heard of the
owner/ guardian language issue since the 20th century, so I'm not certain what impact it
would have in Nevada right now. If you've heard something about this issue, I'd be glad if
you would tell me more about it.
* Do you support the states' prerogatives to manage their resident wildlife populations
and establish local hunting regulations, without federal interference?
Yes. I favor states' rights in general.
* Do you believe in peoples rights to own (responsibly) any animal of their choice,
regardless of species: exotic or domestic?
Responsibly, and subject to local conditions and zoning, and considering the safety of the
animal, yes. There are places here in Henderson where people have horses, lions, even a
snake venom milk farm. That's appropriate for large acreage estates in Henderson. It
would not be appropriate in an apartment building in downtown Las Vegas. Any laws
about what sort of animals people should have on their properties should be left up to
cities and counties to decide
* Do you believe it is okay to discriminate against exotic animal owners through unfair
bans?
No. I am solidly against breed bans. I own a "banned cat" myself. In fact, I talk about that
in the campaign commercial I just filmed. When it's ready to air, you'll be able to see it on
myself. In fact, I talk about that in the campaign commercial I > just filmed. When it's ready to air,
you'll be able to see it on > my MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/erinlale">my MySpace
page http://www.myspace.com/erinlale myself. In fact, I talk about that in the campaign
commercial I > just filmed. When it's ready to air, you'll be able to see it on > my MySpace page
http://www.myspace.com/erinlale">
What is your position on the following animal and/or hunting related issues?
a) Hunting, including the use
I am in favor of traditional hunting practices, including the use of gun dogs / bird dogs in
the traditional manner. What is currently legal should stay legal.
b) Fishing
I am in favor of traditional fishing practices. What is currently legal should stay legal.
c) Animal medical research
Animal medical research should be limited to those medical questions where a good
computer model does not exist, and the substance in question is not generally
recognized as safe, and should always be done in a humane manner. The government
should stop forcing medical and cosmetic companies to perform scientifically
unnecessary animal research just to meet FDA regulatory requirements.
d) Animal ownership and breeding (including pet & livestock breeding, research animals,
circuses and rodeos)
Regulations that restrict breeding are failing to do what they were meant to do, which is
to ensure humane conditions for "puppy mill" animals. We do need to ensure humane
conditions. But restricting breeding of exotics is actually contributing to their demise.
More captive breeding of threatened species would actually have a positive impact on
their survival, in cases where the wild population is dwindling due to habitat loss and
pollution. This is just another example of where good intentions can lead, when
government power is used for social activism.
I have a Bengal Cat. Beni-Wan Cat-Obi was a street cat in Maui. His breed is banned in
Hawaii. He was lucky to be picked up by the no-kill shelter 9th Life Hawaii, which rehomes
Bengals to states where they are legal. If he had been picked up by a public,
tax-supported shelter, he would have been destroyed as unadoptable. That is just one of
the many ways in which private charity is superior to public tax-supported institutions. If
elected, I will work to make sure that Nevada remains a state in which people can own any
breed of cat or dog they want, including Bengals and Pit Bulls.
* Do you or anyone in your immediate family hunt, with or without a dog?
Not currently, but I have fond childhood memories of my dad and grandpa bringing home
pheasant for Thanksgiving every year. Grandpa Lale had an excellent gun dog, Queen. I
hope that someday when I marry, my future husband will bring home pheasant for me to
cook.
* Do you support any animal rescue organizations or shelters?
I support 9th Life Hawaii, the shelter from which I got my cat.
* Do you philosophically support any animal rights or animal protection organizations? If
so,please identify the organizations.
I philosophically support the privately funded no kill shelter movement, which provides
an alternative to publicly funded animal shelters. I believe in preventing the tax-funded
euthanization of healthy dogs and cats.
* Do any animal rights or animal protection organizations endorse you as a candidate or
financially support your campaign?
No.
* Should Spaying or Neutering of an animal be controlled by the government through
legislation or should it be left between a veterinarian and their client to decide?
That should be left between owner and vet, or supplier and potential purchaser/ adopter.
I don't agree with the recent move to require neutering of animals at an age when it could
adversely affect their development.
* Do you believe that animal owners should have their status as owners changed to the
status of guardians? As a guardian you do not own your animals, you are strictly a
caretaker?
That's an issue I would have to research more to see what impact it would have. On the
plus side, it may be that it would be easier for pet owners to get compensated in a lawsuit
for the death of a pet if the law reflected emotional attachment and not just monetary
value, since most mixed breed adult dogs and cats have very little resale value. But I'm
not sure if that wording change would actually accomplish that. I haven't heard of the
owner/ guardian language issue since the 20th century, so I'm not certain what impact it
would have in Nevada right now. If you've heard something about this issue, I'd be glad if
you would tell me more about it.
* Do you support the states' prerogatives to manage their resident wildlife populations
and establish local hunting regulations, without federal interference?
Yes. I favor states' rights in general.
* Do you believe in peoples rights to own (responsibly) any animal of their choice,
regardless of species: exotic or domestic?
Responsibly, and subject to local conditions and zoning, and considering the safety of the
animal, yes. There are places here in Henderson where people have horses, lions, even a
snake venom milk farm. That's appropriate for large acreage estates in Henderson. It
would not be appropriate in an apartment building in downtown Las Vegas. Any laws
about what sort of animals people should have on their properties should be left up to
cities and counties to decide
* Do you believe it is okay to discriminate against exotic animal owners through unfair
bans?
No. I am solidly against breed bans. I own a "banned cat" myself. In fact, I talk about that
in the campaign commercial I just filmed. When it's ready to air, you'll be able to see it on
myself. In fact, I talk about that in the campaign commercial I > just filmed. When it's ready to air,
you'll be able to see it on > my MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/erinlale">my MySpace
page http://www.myspace.com/erinlale myself. In fact, I talk about that in the campaign
commercial I > just filmed. When it's ready to air, you'll be able to see it on > my MySpace page
http://www.myspace.com/erinlale">
What is your position on the following animal and/or hunting related issues?
a) Hunting, including the use
I am in favor of traditional hunting practices, including the use of gun dogs / bird dogs in
the traditional manner. What is currently legal should stay legal.
b) Fishing
I am in favor of traditional fishing practices. What is currently legal should stay legal.
c) Animal medical research
Animal medical research should be limited to those medical questions where a good
computer model does not exist, and the substance in question is not generally
recognized as safe, and should always be done in a humane manner. The government
should stop forcing medical and cosmetic companies to perform scientifically
unnecessary animal research just to meet FDA regulatory requirements.
d) Animal ownership and breeding (including pet & livestock breeding, research animals,
circuses and rodeos)
Regulations that restrict breeding are failing to do what they were meant to do, which is
to ensure humane conditions for "puppy mill" animals. We do need to ensure humane
conditions. But restricting breeding of exotics is actually contributing to their demise.
More captive breeding of threatened species would actually have a positive impact on
their survival, in cases where the wild population is dwindling due to habitat loss and
pollution. This is just another example of where good intentions can lead, when
government power is used for social activism.
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