Animal Partisan files novel legal action to challenge calf confinement at California dairy

May 21, 2025

Animal Partisan has filed a legal complaint alleging animal mistreatment at a dairy operating in California. The complaint invokes California Penal Code section 599a, which expressly allows citizens who believe that the state’s animal protection laws are being violated to pursue criminal charges by directly approaching a magistrate.  

The complaint alleges that the dairy is violating California Penal Code section 597t which states that "Every person who keeps an animal confined in an enclosed area shall provide it with an adequate exercise area." The law makes no concessions for temporary deprivation of this necessary exercise area nor does California law allow for different treatment of animals used in agriculture. Animal Partisan’s complaint alleges that there is a probable cause to believe that the dairy deprives young calves kept on the property of the “adequate exercise area” as required by law. The complaint asks the court to issue a warrant to search the property for any evidence that the law is or has been violated.  

An investigation conducted by Animal Partisan documented approximately 20 to 25 small wooden hutches with metal roofs on the property in question. The name of the dairy is being withheld due to the status of the case. These hutches appeared to be roughly 3.3 feet in width and 4.6 feet long, providing no more than 15-20 square feet of space per calf. On the first day of the investigation, Animal Partisan documented one calf confined in a hutch with "no means for the calf to exit the hutch or exercise." The area around the hutches was not fenced, and there were no visible signs that the animals were being allowed out to graze or exercise. 

On a later date, a farm representative confirmed that calves were housed in these hutches, describing them as "condos," and claimed they remained in these structures for about two months for their "well-being" before being allowed into a field. Photographs taken following that conversation showed the same 20-25 hutches with conditions unchanged from the prior visit. This time, the investigator observed two calves confined in these hutches with no access to exercise space. 

The complaint asserts that this prolonged confinement in minimal space without access to an “adequate exercise area” directly violates Penal Code section 597t. Numerous veterinary, academic, and agriculture industry studies have documented the vital importance of exercise for the health and welfare of dairy calves. Furthermore, many agricultural universities across the United States recognize the necessity of providing confined calves with exercise opportunities, often through fenced areas attached to their hutches or by tethering them within a larger space. The conditions observed at the California dairy fail to meet these recognized standards and the state’s explicit legal requirement. 

The complaint requests that the Court issue and deliver a warrant to law enforcement or other qualified officers to enter and search the dairy, and to arrest any person present who is found to be violating or attempting to violate California Penal Code section 597t. Such violations constitute misdemeanor offenses punishable by imprisonment in the county jail, fines, or both. 

Calves exploited by the dairy industry deserve more than confinement in small, cramped wooden hutches. As seen in the video below of two calves rescued from the dairy industry by fellow animal protection organization Animal Outlook and placed in sanctuary at Animal Place, calves are individuals who should be given the ability to stretch their legs, feel the sun on their backs, and the freedom to run with other calves.

Giving these sentient animals the freedom to exercise is the bare minimum that they deserve, and it also aligns with legal standards in California. Animal Partisan’s approach seeks to leverage existing state laws to hold industries accountable and recognize farmed animals have needs worth protecting.  

Animal Partisan is represented in this matter by Greenfire Law, PC.

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