100-Year Road to Victory: How Manning Beef Slaughterhouse Was Permanently Closed
1920s: Manning Beef Founded
Manning Beef was established in the 1920s as a family-owned meat processing business in Southern California, becoming part of the region’s growing industrial animal agriculture infrastructure during the early 20th century.
2017: First Amendment Victory for Protesters
Los Angeles Animal Save activists who had been protesting outside Manning Beef won a significant First Amendment victory, securing their right to bear witness and document animals being transported to slaughter.
Photo credit: Farm Sanctuary
February 2020: Joaquin Phoenix Rescues Two Calves
The day after accepting an Academy Award, actor and animal rights activist Joaquin Phoenix rescued two calves from Manning Beef, naming them Liberty and Indigo. The calves were transported to Farm Sanctuary.
August 2024: Manning Beef Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Manning Beef filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing financial difficulties. Despite the bankruptcy filing, the facility continued to operate while restructuring efforts were underway.
A cow hangs bleeding from the slaughter line after being stabbed in the head, Animal Outlook 2024
October–December 2024: Animal Outlook Undercover Investigation
An Animal Outlook undercover investigator worked at Manning Beef for three months, documenting disturbing conditions inside the slaughterhouse. The investigator recorded multiple instances of cows being butchered while showing signs of sensibility to pain, indicating violations of humane slaughter standards.
April 2025: New York Times Breaks Story and USDA Cites Manning Beef
The New York Times published a major exposé based on Animal Outlook’s undercover investigation, bringing national attention to the conditions at Manning Beef. The story generated significant public outcry and increased pressure on the company and its business partners. Animal Outlook’s undercover footage prompted the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to cite Manning Beef for excessive use of electric prods on animals. This citation added to the facility’s long history of Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) violations.
May 2025: Animal Outlook Launches Pressure Campaign on Manning Beef’s Business Partners
Animal Outlook initiated a strategic pressure campaign targeting Manning Beef’s business partners and customers. The campaign aimed to isolate the company financially and ensure it would be forced to close permanently.
Animal Outlook’s Executive Director, Ben Williamson, joins supporters of Animal Alliance network for a vigil outside Manning Beef, June 2025
June 2025: Vigil Honors Victims and Regan Russell
Activists gathered outside Manning Beef for a solemn vigil remembering all the non-human animals who suffered and died at the facility. The event also commemorated the fifth anniversary of the death of activist Regan Russell, who was killed in 2020 while bearing witness at a slaughterhouse in Ontario, Canada.
October 2025: Manning Beef Closes Its Doors
Manning Beef ceased operations and closed its doors for what would be the last time. The closure marked the end of slaughter operations at LA County’s last remaining cow slaughterhouse, though uncertainty remained about the facility’s future.
Supporters gathered on the steps of the LA Superior court to protest the sale of Manning Beef, January 2026
January 2026: Protest at Sheriff’s Sale
Animal Outlook supporters gathered outside the LA County Superior Court to protest a sheriff’s sale of the Manning Beef property. Activists sought to ensure that no other meat producer would be able to purchase the facility and resume slaughter operations.
April 2026: “Palermo Meats LLC” Incorporated
In an apparent attempt to circumvent the facility’s troubled history, Manning Beef’s owner incorporated a new business entity called “Palermo Meats LLC.” The move signaled an intention to rebuild and reopen the slaughterhouse under a different name, despite apparently owing millions to creditors.
Animal Outlook’s Director of Investigations, Scott David, addressing the City of Pico Rivera Planning Commission on Monday, June 22, 2026
June 2026: Pico Rivera Planning Commission Votes for Permanent Closure
After a public hearing attended by more than a dozen of animal advocates and community members, the City of Pico Rivera’s Planning Commission voted to permanently revoke Manning Beef’s planning permission. The decision ensured that the facility could never again operate as a slaughterhouse, marking the permanent closure of Los Angeles County’s last remaining cow slaughterhouse.
Victory Achieved
After nearly a century of operation and years of determined advocacy, investigative work, and community organizing, Manning Beef was permanently shut down. The facility’s closure represents a historic milestone for animal protection in Los Angeles County and demonstrates the power of sustained, strategic activism.