A university student in the United States has been handed a 90-day jail sentence for breaking into a commercial poultry facility and removing four chickens, an act she defended as a necessary rescue.
The Conviction and Sentence
Zoe Rosenberg, a 23-year-old student at the University of California, Berkeley, was convicted in October on one count of felony conspiracy and three misdemeanour charges. At her sentencing hearing this week, a jury ordered her to serve 90 days in custody, though 60 of those days may be served through alternatives like house arrest.
This is significantly less than the maximum four-and-a-half-year prison term she could have faced. The court also mandated that Rosenberg pay restitution of more than $100,000 to Petaluma Poultry, a facility owned by Perdue Farms. She has been ordered to report to Sonoma County jail on 10 December.
The 'Why' Behind the Action
Rosenberg did not dispute the core facts of the case. In 2023, she and other members of the animal welfare group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) entered the Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, disguised as workers. They removed four chickens, later named Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea, and placed them in an animal sanctuary, filming the entire operation.
"I will not apologise for taking sick, neglected animals to get medical care," Rosenberg stated firmly to reporters after her conviction. Her lawyer, Chris Carraway, characterised the trial not as a 'whodunit' but a 'whydunit,' focusing on the motivation behind the act.
Activists argue that so-called 'right to rescue' laws, which exist in California and 13 other US states and offer legal protection for people rescuing animals from locked vehicles, should be extended to all animals in distress. A DxE spokesperson revealed the group has coordinated 60 similar operations across several states since 2014.
Contrasting Perspectives on Activism
The business targeted in the action, Petaluma Poultry, has labelled DxE an extremist organisation aiming to dismantle animal agriculture. This view was echoed by the Sonoma County Farm Bureau. Its executive director, Dayna Ghirardelli, accused DxE of years of harassing farm families, trespassing, and theft.
However, the case has garnered significant support from high-profile figures. Academy Award-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix issued a statement supporting Rosenberg, arguing, "When individuals step in to save a life because the system has looked the other way, they should be supported – not prosecuted."
The sentencing concludes a legal battle that highlights the deepening conflict between animal agriculture and radical animal rights groups, raising complex questions about property rights, civil disobedience, and the legal definition of animal rescue.
