Monday night, the Pico Rivera Planning Commission voted unanimously to permanently revoke planning permission for the Manning Beef slaughterhouse—ensuring that LA County’s last cow slaughterhouse will never reopen. This is a monumental win for animals, for the community, and for everyone who refuses to accept cruelty as business as usual.
More than a dozen Animal Outlook supporters gathered outside City Hall before the meeting, rallying together before packing the commission room to capacity. The energy was powerful, the message was clear, and the commissioners listened.
Manning Beef’s owner pleaded with the commission to reconsider. Three of their lawyers argued that the commission didn’t have the authority to revoke the permit. But the commissioners saw through the legal maneuvering and stood firm. When the vote came, it was unanimous among all members present. 💪
Our Director of Investigations, Scott David, delivered compelling public testimony detailing Manning Beef’s shocking record: 61 USDA Non-compliance Records between 2018 and 2025 for violations of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, including starving animals, excessive shocking, and beating them in the face. The USDA suspended inspections at the facility twice—once in 2020 for “an egregious act of inhumane handling” and again in 2022 for “a trend of repetitive noncompliance.”
Our undercover investigation from late 2024 documented the reality behind those statistics: a downed cow shocked with an electric prod more than 20 times, cows dropped head-first onto concrete floors, and multiple animals butchered while showing signs of sensibility to pain. We also obtained USDA records through a Freedom of Information request revealing cockroach infestations, E. coli in ground beef destined for the National School Lunch Program, and failures to implement BSE monitoring procedures.
But this victory wasn’t just about animal welfare violations. Local residents also spoke out, sharing how Manning Beef affected their daily lives with noise and smell complaints. Their voices mattered. The community stood together.
This is what’s possible when investigation meets advocacy, when documentation meets mobilization, and when people refuse to give up. We saw it with Farmer John in Vernon. Now we’re seeing it in Pico Rivera. 🌟
After nearly a century of operation, Manning Beef is permanently closed. That space will now become something that truly serves the community—not a place of suffering.
To everyone who showed up Monday night, who shared our campaign, who believed this was possible: thank you. This victory belongs to all of us.
And to the animals who suffered inside those walls: we didn’t forget you. We never will. 🐮💚