ALF is based in Tempe, Arizona. We are an all-volunteer 501(c)3 organization who provides TNR (trap, neuter, return), and life-long care of feral and community cats. We serve as an advocate for the ferals, and a link to the rescue community. We are members of Petfinder, AZCOR, AZARC, AZMN, PACC911, Phoenix Feral Friends, and Alley Cat Allies. Our rescue partners are Paw Placement, Valley Dogs, Casa de los Gatos, and 2nd "Chance" Dog Rescue.

Animal Loving Friends believes that we - as a rescue community - will never adopt our way out of overpopulation and euthanasia; the root cause of the problem has to be fixed: unaltered free-roaming animals. The number of births we prevent by spaying and neutering homeless cats directly contributes to adoption achievements, by keeping approximately 1,000 animals every year out of adoption and kill shelters. This means there is space for 1,000 more to be saved by adoption groups. It is commonly stated that every animal you adopt saves two, the one you adopted and one more who can take the available space. Every cat that ALF fixes, saves 9 more from facing danger and the likelihood of dying a sad and lonely death.

If you'd like to help, or donate food or vet services, please email alfrescue @ hotmail.com for information. Donations are tax-deductible.

Our EIN is 26-2284558

On rare occasions, we foster tame animals while they await adoption. All of our adoptable pets are tested, vaccinated, spayed or neutered. We strive to find loving, responsible forever homes for pets, so that they will never know hunger or danger again. We do not have a shelter facility and do not accept animals from the public.

Overpopulation of homeless animals leads to the needless suffering and deaths of over 4 million animals each year. Please spay and neuter all your pets and urge your friends and family to do the same. If you are feeding stray cats, please contact the Spay Neuter Hotline today to schedule spay and neuter appointments.

There are several affordable low cost spay and neuter options all over the valley. View a list of Clinics.

Read our Policies.

Our Mission

The mission of Animal Loving Friends is to provide assistance to free-roaming and unwanted animals, and end overpopulation. We accomplish this by providing TNR (trap, neuter, return) and lifelong care to feral cats, promoting spay & neuter and humane treatment of all animals, and partnering with organizations who share our goals.

Our Vision

We envision a community where no healthy or treatable animals are killed. Feral or stray animals are altered and receiving life-long care and support in their habitats. Shelters protect all animals in their care, reunite pets with their guardians, and facilitate adoption of unclaimed pets. All domestic pets have a forever home where they are loved and cared for as members of the family.

We believe that every life matters.

Our Goals

We can cultivate an atmosphere of caring toward animals through education, and we can end animal overpopulation by spaying and neutering.

Our goals can only be met through the generosity of the community. With your help, we can save more lives and prevent needless suffering.

Kim Overhamm has been rescuing animals nearly all her life. As a child she imagined becoming a vet, and having a large sanctuary of her own. She has volunteered since the 80's for many civic causes, and was presented a "Those Who Care" award by one of Arizona's largest employers. 1996 brought Kim to animal rescue, and shortly after, she developed a passion for helping feral cats. She's been advocating and providing TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) ever since, and co-founded Animal Loving Friends in 2005. Kim maintains our website, and is involved in all aspects of the operation of the rescue. Her professional life is spent in satellite engineering. Kim shares her home with her son and two dogs, and several tame and feral cats who have adopted her over the years.

Gay Thomas has been involved with animal rescue for most of her life. She has volunteered with several rescue groups in the Phoenix area. Having a passion for feral cats and seeing a need for TNR in the feral cat community, she became the co-founder of Animal Loving Friends in 2005. She is the volunteer coordinator for the group, and is involved in all aspects of the operation of the rescue. Gay shares her home with several dogs, cats and feral cats. All of her family of animals are rescues.

Nancy Tucholski has been helping animals and doing TNR (Trap, Neuter, and Return) for 15 years. She joined forces with ALF (Animal Loving Friends) in 2008 and is a real advocate of TNR and promotes spay and neuter opportunities in the valley. She also volunteers at a clinic in Tempe on Sunday sponsored by the Spay Neuter Hotline working with spaying and neutering feral cats ... which is her passion. Nancy shares her home with her husband and several cats ... both tame and feral. She never met a cat that she did not like and cats are her first love.

2010 has come and gone, and thanks to the generosity of our supporters, volunteers, visitors, and friends, ALF experienced another great year for homeless animals! Here are the highlights:

• With your help another 115 cats were spayed or neutered, preventing an estimated 1,049 new births in the course of a year, saving them from euthanasia as they compete for an adoptive home, face injury and starvation, abuse or predators. That's a 27% increase from 2009!
• Thirty tame cats and kittens were placed for adoption.
• Nine dogs were saved with the ALF dog trap.
• We committed to three more feral cat colonies, providing TNR (Trap/Neuter/Return) and lifelong maintenance and care.
• Five new "special needs" cats were provided medical care.
• Four more volunteers stepped in to help during 2010.
• We experienced our most successful fundraiser to date, raising more than $2000 to Spare the Alley Cats and Strike Out Overpopulation. Our annual expenses average $6500 per year.
• The Landfill TNR project was completed.
• Construction on the Habicat4ALF was finished, and already it has provided a safe haven for several recovering or fostered cats.
• Several new informative articles and resources were added to the website to help the public care for their pets and free-roaming animals.
• The popular Ask ALF advice column was created to solve some mysteries of cat behavior, and even some dogs!
• Our Guidestar report was published, approving Animal Loving Friends as a verified non-profit organization in compliance with the IRS.
• We said Goodbye to Willie, one of the year's special needs cats. Willie came to us early in the year, very tame, but severely underweight and in poor health. He was found to be FIV+, and likely suffering from cancer. We removed him from the streets at once and placed him in foster care, providing for his many medical needs. Eventually he was taken in by a no-kill, cage-free sanctuary where he lived in the company of other cats with similar conditions, and received the utmost in care and love. In late August, Willie peacefully crossed over the bridge, after spending the latter part of his life in safety, enjoying all the things cats love.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, volunteers, visitors, and friends, 2009 was our best yet! You've helped us accomplish many things, and we truly couldn't have done it without you!

• The breeding cycle was stopped for 90 more cats (that's an estimated 828 new kittens that won't be born over the next year, to face euthanasia as they compete for an adoptive home, or suffer injury and starvation, or be victims of abuse or predators)
• Our SOS Participants have spayed and neutered 100 cats since the program began!
• 43 cats were placed in loving homes
• Two additional feral colonies were altered, and are receiving daily care
• 14 dogs were trapped and placed in new homes, or in rescue
• Two injured cats were rescued, and are receiving medical care while enjoying the safety of being indoors
• Soon one landfill will no longer be seeing kittens born among the garbage
• Animal Loving Friends, Inc was approved by the IRS as a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization, donations are tax-deductible
• The Cat House has been funded, so that the ferals will have a cool place to convalesce after surgeries during hot summers
• Six new volunteers joined ALF