A 23-year-old woman from the San Francisco Bay Area has been convicted of trespassing and conspiracy for removing four chickens from a poultry processing plant in northern California. Zoe Rosenberg, an activist with Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), admitted taking the birds but argued she was rescuing them from cruelty. She now faces a possible prison sentence of more than five years.
The incident occurred on 13 June 2023, when Rosenberg and several other DxE members drove to Petaluma Poultry, a slaughterhouse about 40 miles north of San Francisco. Disguised as workers, they removed four chickens from a truck packed with thousands of live birds, placed them in buckets, and drove away. Footage of the rescue was later released by the group.
Rosenberg was tried on two misdemeanour counts of trespassing, one misdemeanour count of tampering with a vehicle, and a felony conspiracy charge. Her attorneys argued that the case hinged not on whether she took the chickens, but on her motivation. Prosecutors, however, maintained that her actions were illegal regardless of her intentions.
Lauren Gazzola, spokesperson for the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, confirmed that Rosenberg and her legal team plan to appeal the verdict. Chris Carraway, Rosenberg’s attorney, criticised the prosecution, stating, "Sonoma county spent over six weeks and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to protect a multibillion-dollar corporation from the rescue of four chickens worth less than $25."
Petaluma Poultry supplies chickens to Perdue Farms, one of the largest poultry providers in the United States. The trial took place in Sonoma County, where agriculture is a major industry. This case follows a similar conviction two years ago for the co-founder of DxE, who received 90 days in jail and two years of probation for his role in factory farm protests.
