The auction of the Manning Beef property in Pico Rivera was postponed Wednesday, Jan. 28, even as city leaders and animal rights advocates arrived at a Los Angeles courthouse to push for a permanent end to slaughter operations in the gateway city.
The day before, Pico Rivera Mayor Gustavo Camacho announced the city intends to participate in the court-supervised auction of the property on Beverly Road, which has seen its share of controversies since Manning Beef started in the 1920s, including suspension by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“This moment presents a rare opportunity for Pico Rivera to thoughtfully reimagine the future of a long-standing industrial site in the heart of our community,” Camacho said in a statement. “Our priority is to ensure that whatever comes next truly benefits our residents, protects public health, and aligns with our values as a city.”
Manning Land Company, which owns the land where Manning Beef operated, filed for bankruptcy in California Central Bankruptcy Court on Jan. 27.
Ben Williamson, executive director of Animal Outlook, the national animal advocacy nonprofit, showed up with a group of volunteers to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles to “ensure that any meat companies who may be thinking of bidding for the property and using the site to continue slaughtering animals will have to reckon with us.”
Cesar Asebedo, right, joins fellow animal-rights activists to demonstrate at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles during the Sheriff’s auction of the Manning Beef property in Pico Rivera on Wednesday January 28, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer) Cesar Asebedo joins fellow animal-rights activists to demonstrate at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles during the Sheriff’s auction of the Manning Beef property in Pico Rivera on Wednesday January 28, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer) Several animal-rights organizations, led by the group Animal Outlook, demonstrate at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles during the Sheriff’s auction of the Manning Beef property in Pico Rivera on Wednesday January 28, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer) Show Caption1 of 3Cesar Asebedo, right, joins fellow animal-rights activists to demonstrate at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles during the Sheriff’s auction of the Manning Beef property in Pico Rivera on Wednesday January 28, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer) ExpandNews of the new bankruptcy filing means the sale of the land could take months, he said.
Animal Outlook was instrumental in uncovering industry violations and what he calls the most severe acts of animal cruelty he’s encountered in 30 years. The company closed its doors in October last year after filing for bankruptcy.
Williamson said Manning Beef operated behind closed doors, shielded from public scrutiny for years.
“Animal Outlook’s investigations helped pull back that curtain and expose the reality of industrial animal slaughter,” he said.
City leaders stepping up is a transformative moment, not just for the community, but for the broader movement toward a more compassionate food system, he added.
“Thanks to courageous city leadership and the voices of countless advocates, we have a real opportunity to ensure this facility never again becomes a place of violence and suffering,” Williamson said. His nonprofit and others in the animal protection community will support Pico Rivera’s vision for the site, he said.
A national spotlight fell on Manning Beef in 2020, when actor Joaquin Phoenix visited the site the day after he accepted a Best Actor Oscar and rescued two cows from the Pico Rivera facility.
“I stood outside Manning Beef and looked into the eyes of two cows, Liberty and Indigo, who were moments from slaughter,” Phoenix said. “With the unexpected compassion of owner Anthony DiMaria, we saved them that day, and they now live peacefully at Farm Sanctuary (in Acton). That moment showed me what’s possible when we choose mercy over profit.”
ponement of the auction gives advocates time to build support, and the city more chances to evaluate funding options such as grants and nationwide philanthropic support, city officials said.
Williamson said supporters can sign and share a petition supporting the city’s efforts to buy the property and stay informed about a new auction date.
“The vision for transforming Manning Beef from a site of suffering into a space for community good is still very much alive,” he said.
Phoenix, who named the mother and daughter cows after his sister and her late son, commended city leaders for choosing “progress over violence,” and showing “that communities can heal, and that even where suffering once reigned, compassion can flourish.”
Pico Rivera City Manager Steve Carmona said whether or not the city can buy the property, which is valued at $7.4 million, according to auction documents, “our goal is to ensure this property never again operates as a slaughterhouse.”
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