For immediate release

Contact: Cassie King, (510) 507-8075, cassie@directactioneverywhere.com

Drone Video Shows Calf Abuse at Madera Calf Ranch

Workers pushed newborn calves from a trailer, kicked them, and threw them into crates at Madera Calf Ranch in Madera, CA

VIDEO FROM THE INVESTIGATION
(Credit: Direct Action Everywhere)

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September 18, 2026, Madera, CA - Factory farm investigators with Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) used drones to document animal abuse at Madera Calf Ranch, a calf-raising operation that confines over 8,000 young animals born into the dairy industry. The drone footage shows workers pushing and pulling newborn calves from a trailer, kicking them to make them stand, and throwing them into small, individual crates, which are a common form of intensive confinement used in the calf-raising industry.

The footage was published today at FactoryFarmWatch.org, a map and database of California’s 1300+ large, industrial animal farms. DxE asserts the video depicts violations of industry guidelines for calf care. The Calf Care & Quality Assurance (CCQA) program states, "Do not drag, pull, throw, or toss calves. Do not catch calves by the neck, ears, limbs, tail, or other extremities." It also states, “Remember, these are young animals and require extra patience as they learn to move.” 

DxE also alleges the cruel handling documented at Madera Calf Ranch violates California’s animal cruelty statute. An attorney for DxE reported the calf abuse footage to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney's Office, and Animal Services back in April, when the footage was obtained, but the offices ignored the report. Only the DA's office responded, declining to act on the report.

The California dairy industry is incredibly powerful, as the state’s largest agricultural sector, contributing over $23 billion to the state GDP annually. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has multiple boards dedicated to boosting dairy consumption and shaping public perception of dairy. They have worked with the industry to run multi-million-dollar marketing programs, such as California’s iconic ‘Got Milk?’ campaign and “Happy Cows Come from California.” This state-backed marketing misleads consumers with bucolic imagery of “family farms,” while DxE investigations are uncovering the reality of widespread cruelty behind California milk. 

DxE has now published footage of serious animal abuse at six California calf ranches this year. In May, the Los Angeles Times reported on DxE’s footage of workers kicking calves and pulling them by their tails at Agresti Calf Ranch in Ceres, after which one worker was fired. DxE says firing individual workers doesn't stop the problem because animal cruelty is a predictable outcome of how these operations are designed. A small number of workers are tasked with moving and managing thousands of vulnerable animals in the quickest, most cost-efficient way possible.

"Typically, the industry has responded to animal cruelty footage like this by writing it off as an isolated incident, but increasing drone footage over the past year has made it very clear this abuse is the norm in California's dairy industry," said DxE factory farm investigator Lewis Bernier.

In response to the increasing exposure of animal cruelty, cattle operations are seeking to limit drone flights overhead. The Intercept reported last week that California's largest calf-raising operation, Grimmius Cattle Co., reported a federally licensed DxE drone pilot to the Federal Aviation Administration after DxE documented calf abuse at their Kings and Tulare facilities. It is unknown what specifically Grimmius alleged in its complaint. DxE drone pilots operate in full compliance with federal aviation laws.

"The reality behind California dairy is caged baby cows," said DxE Lead Organizer Almira Tanner. "This industry wouldn't exist without mother and baby separation, calf confinement, forced impregnation, and the killing of "spent" cows, who no longer produce enough milk. The baby cows suffering at Madera Calf Ranch are waiting in the queue to face the same violence their mothers faced, mothers they will never know. And this cruel cycle is being covered up with false, "humane" marketing."

Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) investigates farms, slaughterhouses, and other facilities to document abuses and rescue sick and injured animals. DxE’s investigatory work has been featured in The New York Times, WIRED, and Vox. In 2022, DxE activists won the first-ever acquittal in an open rescue case. Visit DxE on Instagram, Facebook, X, Bluesky, and at directactioneverywhere.com.

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