An animal rights activist and UC Berkeley student was convicted Wednesday of freeing four chickens from a Sonoma County poultry farm, an act she described as a rescue mission but that the farm owners said was common theft.
In a trial closely monitored by poultry industry and animal rights groups, Zoe Rosenberg, 23, was found guilty of one felony count of conspiracy, two misdemeanor counts of trespassing and one count of tampering with a vehicle.
She could face up to five years in prison. But she urged animal rights supporters not to let her conviction interrupt their activities.
“The prosecutors hope this will stop people from speaking out for animals and people from rescuing animals,” Rosenberg said in an Instagram video after the verdict was read. “I’m asking you not to do this. No matter what, we will move forward until every animal is safe, happy, and free.”
Industry officials say activist groups linked to Rosenberg have harassed workers and poultry companies in an attempt to draw attention to their cause, taking illegal actions in the process.
According to prosecutors, Rosenberg planned to break into Perdue Farms’ Petaluma poultry plant and remove chickens from the facility over several weeks, an act that involved disguises, fake employee uniforms, tracking devices, rental vehicles and an “Airbnb safe house.”
“The jury’s verdict makes it clear that personal beliefs do not justify violating the law,” Herb Frerichs, Petaluma Poultry’s general counsel, said in a statement. “This kind of behavior will not be tolerated in any society that respects the rule of law.”
Sonoma County prosecutors said Rosenberg led the social media arm of Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), an animal rights group that, according to its website, “denies[s] Speciesism leads to the mass torture and slaughter of non-human animals. “
The organization uses “rescue” to draw attention to its causes and takes similar cases to court.
In a statement, Sonoma County Dist. Atty. Carla Rodriguez criticized the group’s tactics, saying activists needed to be held accountable when they “crossed the line.”
“Unfortunately, some activist groups continue to willfully ignore the law in the belief that their personal causes justify criminal behavior,” she said in a statement. “They seek to use the criminal justice system itself as a platform to attract attention and further their movements. The court system exists to uphold justice, not as an arena for self-promotion or wrongdoing.”
Rosenberg testified in testimony that she helped create social media content to promote DxE’s public campaign against poultry farms.
DxE said in a statement that she was seeking an appeal.
The group said Rosenberg’s attorneys were barred from raising a “necessity defense,” in which attorneys could admit evidence of criminal conduct to prevent greater harm, or argue that Rosenberg had no reasonable legal alternatives to prevent harm.
The group also argued that attorneys are restricted from presenting evidence of animal cruelty during trials.
“These charges could result in nearly five years in prison,” DxE said in a statement. “In the meantime, Petaluma Poultry will face no consequences for allowing sick animals to die or for scalding animals alive.”
Industry officials have criticized DxE’s strategy. Perdue called the group a “radical activist group” in a statement.
On November 30, 2023, DxE co-founder Wayne Hsiung and others in the organization took dozens of chickens and ducks from Petaluma-area farms and were sentenced to 90 days in prison. He was convicted of one felony count of conspiracy to commit trespassing and two misdemeanor counts of trespassing, according to court records.
“For years, DxE has harassed farm families and workers, invaded private property, and stolen items from local businesses,” Sonoma County Farm Bureau Executive Director Dayna Ghirardelli said in a statement. “Our community has always rejected their extreme tactics, and this sentence reinforces that.”
Rosenberg said in her Instagram post that the judge ordered her to wear an ankle monitor until her sentencing hearing on Dec. 3.
