SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) — A California animal rights activist on trial for taking four chickens from one of Perdue Farms’ major poultry plants said Tuesday that she was rescuing Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea from abuse while prosecutors say she broke the law.
Zoe Rosenberg, 23, faces more than five years in prison if convicted of a felony conspiracy charge and two misdemeanor counts of trespassing and a misdemeanor count of tampering with a vehicle.
During the seven-week trial, her defense hasn’t focused on if she took the chickens from Petaluma Poultry in 2023, which supplies chickens to Perdue Farms, but rather on the justification for doing so.
How the chickens were taken
Rosenberg testified she disguised herself as a Petaluma Poultry worker using a fake badge and earpiece. She shared a videotape on social media that showed what she did. She said she acted out of concern about animal cruelty, not as part of a criminal conspiracy.
“These chickens were incredibly ill and they needed care and I think that when an animal is in distress, when an animal is being abused and the authorities aren’t stepping in, we do have the legal right to help them ourselves,” Rosenberg said in an interview.
About three dozen supporters attended the trial, wearing orange poppies to symbolize one of the rescued chickens and to show support for Rosenberg.
Defense lawyers and prosecutors clash on intent
Rosenberg’s lawyer argued that she believed the chickens were suffering and that her actions were guided by compassion. Conversely, the prosecution claimed her efforts were a publicity stunt for Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), an animal rights group.
The company running Petaluma Poultry insisted that the animals were not mistreated and characterized DxE as an extremist organization bent on disrupting the animal agriculture industry.
Rosenberg's legal team asserted she spent months investigating alleged abuses and consulted a veterinarian concerned about images that suggested animals might have been harmed.
Sonoma County has historically been tough on animal activism. Previous cases against activists have had mixed outcomes, with cases often resulting in imprisonment or fines.
Rosenberg stated, “An immense amount of government resources have been spent prosecuting me for the alleged ‘crime’ of rescuing four abused chickens from a Perdue slaughterhouse,” indicating her frustrations with the legal and animal welfare system.
The trial continues with public interest boiling as activists rally for animal rights and question the ethics of large poultry operations.
