Drone footage shows animal cruelty at calf ranch in Ceres. Vigil to be held
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story included incorrect information linking Agresti Calf Ranch to Clover Sonoma dairy company. On its website, Clover Sonoma has a statement that reads in part: “Agresti Calf Ranch, which began operations in May 2025, has NEVER been part of the Clover Sonoma milk supply and does not supply cows to Double D Dairy that we contract with.”
Footage at a calf ranch in Ceres shows workers kicking a calf in the face, yanking a cow’s tail and pulling the nose of a cow forcefully with pliers.
The videos show two workers, one wearing a shirt depicting the Virgin Mary.
The footage was obtained in late February through a drone by factory farm investigators with Direct Action Everywhere at Agresti Calf Ranch. The group had previously documented and rescued two sick goats from a Meyenberg-supplying dairy in Stratford.
One video shows a calf being disbudded with hot irons before collapsing. Disbudding is the removal of horn buds to prevent horns from growing. Hot iron dehorning is the most popular method of disbudding calves, but industry guidelines recommend pain relievers.
According to the investigators, no workers were seen giving anesthetics to the calves before they were disbudded.
“The reality is that even at the supposed best of the best dairy companies, newborn animals are ripped away from their mothers, confined, mutilated and forced into submission through violence,” Almira Tanner, Direct Action Everywhere’s lead organizer, said in a press release. “That’s what the dairy industry is built on. They go to great lengths to mislead the public, but you can’t take the violence out of dairy.”
On Feb. 27, an attorney with Direct Action Everywhere reported the alleged animal cruelty to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Animal Services, stating that it violates California’s animal cruelty statute.
Animal Services responded that it had coordinated with the “appropriate organizations to monitor what is happening.”
On April 23, an attorney representing Agresti sent Direct Action Everywhere members a cease-and-desist letter, threatening legal action if they did not cease “eavesdropping on my client’s facilities.”
“Employees are fearful of invasion of their privacy rights, and the cows are easily upset by the noise and unusual overhead flight patterns of the drones,” the letter reads.
On Saturday, May 16, animal rights activists with Direct Action Everywhere plan to hold a peaceful vigil for the abused calves at Agresti Calf Ranch at 3 p.m. Activists will gather on public property by the calf ranch and call on authorities to take action to protect the animals.
This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Drone footage shows animal cruelty at calf ranch in Ceres. Vigil to be held."
