Sonoma County Activist Convicted inโค ‘Chicken Rescue’ Case
Zoe Rosenberg,โ an animal rights activist withโ the group Direct Action Everywhere โ(DxE), was found guilty on Mayโ 2, 2024, of petty theft and trespassing following aโ “rescue” of four chickens from a Petaluma poultry facility in November 2023.โข The Sonoma County jury’s decision followed a trial whereโ the defence argued the โคactions were motivated by โคcompassion for animals in โขdistress, while prosecutorsโ maintained that Rosenberg violated the law.
The charges stemmed from an incident whereโข rosenberg and othreโ DxE members removed four hens -โข poppy, Ivy,โ Aster, and Azalea โ- from โPetaluma Poultry, alleging they were โsuffering from neglect. Rosenberg testifiedโค she sought too provide โคthe chickens with medical โคcare. The jury deliberations lasted approximatelyโฃ six hours, and the verdict was unanimous.
“Everyone was the same,” Rosenberg’s attorney, Eric Carraway, reported after the verdict.
The case is part โof a pattern of similarโ legalโข battles faced โby โฃDxE members nationwide. In October 2022, twoโข activists were โacquitted of burglary and theft in Utah after removing โtwo piglets from aโ farm. Similarly, in March 2023, two DxE members were found not guilty of misdemeanor theft in Merced County afterโ taking two chickens from โa Foster Farms facility. โข
Though, the Sonoma County outcomeโฃ differs from these earlier โcases. โRosenberg’s arrest followed โคthe sentencing ofโข DxE co-founder Wayne โHsiung to 90โข daysโฃ in jail and twoโค years’ probation in a โขsimilarโฃ Sonoma County case.Since then, DxE โคhas โincreased its activismโ in the area, including โฃdemonstrations outside Trader Joe’s, blocking delivery trucks, and โsupporting a 2024 ballot measure aimed at restricting large-scale poultry and โขlivestock operations, which voters rejected.โ Theโ group also sponsored aโฃ billboard along Highway 101 near Petaluma โฃquestioning weather Rosenberg should face imprisonment for “rescuing” a chicken; prosecutors โฃunsuccessfully attempted to have the billboard removed, โfearing it would influence potential โคjurors.
following theโข verdict, โคDistrict โAttorney Jennifer Rodriguez statedโ her office would continue to prosecute activists whoโฃ “blur theโค line between protest andโ crime,” asserting thatโข someโ groups “haveโ attempted โขto use theโ criminal justice system as a platform to gain attention and โfurther their movement.”โ
Leaders โin Sonoma County’s agriculturalโข community welcomedโค the decision. Herb Frerichs, general counsel for Petaluma Poultry, saidโค the verdict โdemonstrated โthat “personal โbeliefs don’t justify breakingโข the law.” Dayna Ghirardelli,โ executive directorโฃ of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau, stated the decision underscored โpublic โขrejection of โDxE’s tactics and supportโข for local farmers.
Carraway โcriticized the prosecution โคas a misuseโข of resources, stating the county “spent hundreds of thousands โฃof taxpayer dollars to protect a multi-billion-dollar corporation from the โrescue of fourโข chickens worth less than $25.”
Rosenberg, who had previously worn a GPS โคmonitor for 20 months during โtheโ case, had the device reinstalled on her ankle outsideโ the โขcourthouse after the verdict.she expressed no regrets. โ
“I โwill notโฃ apologize for taking sick,โฃ neglected animals to get medical care,” Rosenbergโ said. “Because I did, Poppy, Ivy, Aster and Azalea are alive today. For that, I will never โขbe sorry.” She added,while addressing a crowd ofโ over 20 supporters,”I โthinkโข about allโค of the chickens who are suffering everyโฃ moment of their lives – and โฃwho advocates for them?”
