Friens of Animals (founded 1957 Darien, Connecticut, U.S.) is involved in the modern spay/neuter and animal rights movements. Alice Herrington, the group's founder, created an animal rights library. Since Ms. Herrington's retirement in 1987, the group, currently led by Priscilla Feral, has widened its original scope to include a rights-based view that has separated its mission from the more traditional animal welfare movement. The primary focus of the group is on protecting the status of free-living animals rather than regulating the use of domesticated animals. The group is also associated with the international vegan movement, which began in England in 1944.