a number of levels: These are just the people in government who are directly involved in animal welfare. In Jacksonville, we have a consolidated city/county government; in other areas of the country, there is often the same or a similar bureaucracy duplicated at both city and county levels, both of which might operate shelters or animal control services. If there is a non-profit organization that is running the shelter under contract with the government, that adds a board of directors to the mix, and some of the staff listed above will report to them instead of elected officials. Having good relationships with those that can help you accomplish your mission is vital to your success . A good relationship is one where the people involved are able to discuss and work out issues and problems that will arise. When issues come up that could weaken or destroy lesser relationships, the partners work together to confront and overcome the problems, which also strengthens the partnership in the process. When deciding how to invest your limited time in relationship building, keep in mind where in the hierarchy of authority each individual falls. People lower on the list can often make your day-to-day tasks easier or more difficult, and those higher on the list can help or hinder you in reaching your bigger goals. For example, the government only has resources that it gets from its citizens and is dependent on taxpayers, especially property owners, for its revenue. Additionally, the people that run