programs are an obvious good investment for any shelter that is faced with ever increasing numbers of animals being brought to them. Our SpayJax program, which is our income-targeted program, has been funded by the city for 10 years now, at a total investment of over $2,000,000. Income-targeted programs are the most effective at decreasing shelter admissions and should be the mainstay spay/neuter program of any animal welfare program that is serious about decreasing shelter deaths. 1 It became obvious with ever-tightening government budgets that a long-term dedicated funding source for targeted spay/neuter programs was vital. Our good relationships with every level of the government was never more important than when we undertook the job of changing the ordinance to increase pet license fees by $10 and require that the additional revenue be dedicated to funding spay/neuter programs. It is possible to operate proactive programs without having a good relationship with local municipalities, but having good relationships can often help find ongoing funding for these programs and is important in attaining access to the shelter data needed to ensure the effectiveness of these programs. Another important funding benefit that can come with good relations is the ability of the local government to receive grants that our organization is not eligible for. We have worked with three of the local governments to receive large grants for targeted spay/neuter programs in their communities, with our group, FCNMHP, being paid to perform the surgeries. These grants are given to the local government entity