Undercover investigation reveals cows being butchered alive and tortured at Los Angeles’ last remaining cow slaughterhouse supplying federal child nutrition programs like the National School Lunch Program

From October to December 2024, an Animal Outlook investigator worked undercover at Manning Beef LLC in Pico Rivera, California. The footage obtained—the goriest in our 30-year history—reveals violations of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act and California law:

• Cows being butchered, despite signs they were still sensible to pain.
• A downed dairy cow repeatedly shocked with a cattle prod after collapsing, then shot in the head three times with a captive bolt gun before finally losing consciousness.
• A worker stabbing a cow in the back of the head, then draining the cow’s blood by stabbing them in the throat. This cow flailed while being butchered alive.
• A cow, still sensible to pain, vomiting while their face was skinned and being restrained while moving away from the knife.
• Extreme operational errors including one cow falling head first from the slaughter line onto the concrete floor.
• Piles of unborn calf fetuses, extracted from pregnant cows sent to slaughter.

“It’s painful to watch a living being experience what those cows went through. Cows having parts of their flesh cut off, their ears sawed off, blood pouring out of them, while they hang upside down with no hope of escape. What happened to those cows and the look in their eyes will stay with me for a long time.” - Erin Wing, Deputy Director of Investigations

Emmy & Grammy award winning songwriter, Diane Warren, who rescued two cows from Manning Beef in 2021 commented:

“The footage from Animal Outlook is so gut-wrenching I can't bring myself to watch it—though my heart breaks knowing what these poor animals must have endured. When I rescued two cows who tried to escape from that facility in 2021, I thought about the terrible fate waiting for them if I didn't step in. Now, knowing the full extent of cruelty happening behind those walls, I wish I could've saved every single one of them. These gentle creatures deserve way better than the nightmare they're trapped in.”

Manning Beef Supplies Meat to School Children While Torturing Animals

This facility actively profits from federal child nutrition programs like the National School Lunch Program, while subjecting cows to unconscionable cruelty in their final moments. Manning Beef continues operations despite filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2024 and has received USDA funds as recently as November 2024.

A History of Controversy

Manning Beef has faced previous scrutiny, including a 2021 incident where 40 cows escaped the facility, making national headlines when all but one were recaptured and killed despite sanctuary offers. The facility has also previously attempted to silence activists through litigation.

The Pico Rivera slaughterhouse has been the focus of witness-bearing vigils from LA Animal Save since 2017. Actor Joaquin Phoenix famously rescued a mother cow and her calf in 2020 the day after his Oscar acceptance speech denouncing cruelty in the dairy industry. 

In 2020, the USDA suspended Manning Beef from its inspections due to “an egregious act of inhumane handling of animals.” In 2022, the USDA issued a second Notice of Suspension for “ongoing and repetitive incidents of ineffective stunning.” 

Call for Charges for Manning Beef’s Cruelty to Animals

Animal Outlook has submitted comprehensive video evidence and legal documentation to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office. We are calling for criminal animal cruelty charges against Manning Beef—both as a corporation and against individual perpetrators. The evidence shows that these violations aren't isolated incidents but rather systematic abuse embedded in Manning Beef's business practices. From workers to supervisors to corporate leadership, this culture of cruelty demands full legal accountability.

Take a Stand Against Animal Abuse

The evidence is clear: torture is business as usual at Manning Beef. You can take a stand against animal abuse by leaving animals off your plate. By choosing vegan alternatives and sharing this investigation, you can help end the cycle of cruelty. Take the VegPledge today.

Your support will help to continue exposing the brutal reality of animal agriculture and work toward a more compassionate food system.