A young animal welfare campaigner from California has been sentenced to 90 days in jail after being found guilty of taking four chickens from a major Perdue Farms poultry facility.
The Trial and Conviction
Zoe Rosenberg, aged 23, was convicted in October by a jury in Sonoma County, Northern California, following a seven-week trial. She faced charges including felony conspiracy and trespassing related to the incident at the Petaluma Poultry plant, a subsidiary of Perdue Farms.
Rosenberg, who is part of the Berkeley-based group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), did not deny removing the animals. Her defence centred on the argument that she was lawfully rescuing the birds from what she described as a cruel situation. The company, however, maintains its animals were not mistreated.
Sentencing and Consequences
Sentenced on Wednesday, 3 December 2025, Rosenberg was ordered to report to Sonoma County Jail by 10 December. The district attorney's office stated that while her term is 90 days, 60 of those may be served through alternatives like house arrest.
She also received two years of probation and a court order to stay away from all Perdue facilities within the county. Following her conviction, Rosenberg remained defiant, stating she has no regrets. "I will not apologise for taking sick, neglected animals to get medical care," she said.
Activist Methods and Industry Backlash
During the trial, Rosenberg 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. The four chickens, named Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea by the activists, were placed in an animal sanctuary.
Petaluma Poultry has labelled DxE an extremist group intent on destroying the animal agriculture industry. This case is not isolated; the co-founder of DxE was convicted two years ago for his role in protests at factory farms in the same area of Petaluma.
