An animal rights activist has been sentenced to jail after being found guilty of stealing chickens from a major poultry processing facility in the United States.
The Conviction and Sentence
Zoe Rosenberg, aged 23, was convicted in October following a seven-week trial at the Sonoma County Superior Court in Santa Rosa, California. The jury found her guilty of felony conspiracy, trespassing, and other related charges. This week, she was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with the order to report to Sonoma County Jail by 10 December 2025.
The county's district attorney's office stated that while the sentence is for 90 days, 60 of those may be served through alternatives such as house arrest. Rosenberg also received two years of probation and a court order to stay away from all Perdue Farms facilities within the county.
The Act of 'Rescue' and the Legal Defence
Rosenberg, a member of the Berkeley-based group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), did not deny taking four chickens from the Petaluma Poultry plant, a subsidiary of Perdue Farms. However, she argued in her defence that she was not breaking the law but was instead rescuing the animals from what she described as a cruel situation.
"I will not apologise for taking sick, neglected animals to get medical care," Rosenberg stated after her conviction. The activist testified that she gained access to the plant by disguising herself as a worker, using a fake badge and earpiece. She later posted a video of the action on social media.
Reactions and Broader Context
The four birds, named Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea by the activists, were placed in an animal sanctuary. Rosenberg has expressed no regret for her actions.
In contrast, Petaluma Poultry has labelled DxE as an extremist group intent on destroying the animal agriculture industry. The company has firmly maintained that the animals involved were not mistreated.
This case is not an isolated incident for the activist group. Two years ago, a co-founder of Direct Action Everywhere was also convicted for his role in protests at factory farms in the Petaluma area.
