Animal rights activist convicted for stealing four chickens, faces five years

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Animal rights activists went into the property of Petaluma Poultry in Petaluma, Calif. and took 18 birds as part of a protest on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. (Direct Action Everywhere)

OAKLAND, Calif. - A Sonoma County jury on Wednesday, following seven weeks of trial, convicted an animal rights activist of felony conspiracy, two misdemeanor counts of trespassing, and tampering with a vehicle.

What we know:

Zoe Rosenberg, a 23-year-old Berkeley resident, was on trial for taking four chickens from a Northern California processing plant, Petaluma Poultry, in 2023. She faces more than five years in prison.

Rosenberg did not deny taking the animals but said she was rescuing them from a cruel situation. Her attorneys have said they would appeal if she was found guilty, Lauren Gazzola, spokesperson for the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, said.

Rosenberg is a member of Direct Action Everywhere (DxE). One of the group's co-founders was sentenced to 90 days in jail and two years probation for felony trespassing at chicken and duck farms in 2018 and 2019.

Petaluma Poultry supplies chickens to Perdue Farms, one of the country’s largest providers for major grocery chains.

Rosenberg's sentencing is set for Dec. 3.

What they're saying:

Her attorneys argued the case wasn’t about whether she took the chickens — Direct Action Everywhere filmed the incident and released the footage — but why she did it. The organization has argued for the "right to rescue" animals, maintaining that Rosenberg’s actions are akin to the right to break into a car to rescue a dog in hot temperatures.

Following the verdict, a news release from Direct Action Everywhere and The Animal Activist Legal Defense Project said the chickens that were rescued are alive and well at a sanctuary for rescued farm animals.

A staff attorney for the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project said the District Attorney's Office continues to ignore documentation of "criminal animal cruelty at Sonoma County factory farms."

"This verdict affirms that no one is above the law. While we respect everyone’s right to free expression, it is unlawful to trespass, disrupt legitimate businesses, and endanger workers and animals in pursuit of a political or social agenda," District Attorney Carla Rodriguez said in a press release. "Unfortunately, some activist groups continue to show a deliberate disregard for the law, believing that their personal cause justifies criminal conduct."

A press release from the District Attorney’s office states that Rosenberg and co-conspirator Raven Deerbrook, on June 13, 2023, "planned the incursion into Petaluma Poutry for weeks, complete with disguises, false employee uniforms, tracking devices, rented vehicles, and a prearranged ‘Airbnb safe house’ where the stolen chickens were taken for filming and social media use."

Corrections: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Rosenberg was sentenced. Her sentencing is set for Dec. 3. The article also incorrectly identified Rosenberg as a Direct Action Everywhere member who had prior convictions. This has been corrected to say that it was a founder of that group, not Rosenberg, who had prior convictions. We regret these errors.

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