In 1981 the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR) was founded by two veterinarians out of a concern that the animals they were trained to treat and heal were routinely being abused by society. The AVAR operates under the premise that as physicians protect their patients, so should veterinarians protect theirs. The association works toward the acquisition of rights for all nonhuman animals by educating the public and the veterinary profession. The AVAR works to keep veterinarians and the public informed about philosophical and scientific issues surrounding the use of animals in education, farming, fur production, trapping, entertainment and other areas. Educational reform, changes in the ways that animals are used in biomedical research, and the passage of legislation favorable to the benign treatment of animals in education, research, and animal shelters are the focus of the organization. They also work to guarantee the rights of students who do not wish to harm or destroy nonhuman animals in the course of their education. The AVAR is based in Davis, California.