SAN FRANCISCO — A California woman on trial for taking four chickens from one of the largest poultry plants, Perdue Farms, has put the treatment of animals at slaughterhouses in the national spotlight as her defense team claims she saved the birds from abuse.
Closing statements are scheduled for Tuesday in the case, which could land 23-year-old Zoe Rosenberg in prison for more than five years. During the seven-week trial, her defense focused not on whether she took chickens from Petaluma Poultry in 2023 (Rosenberg shared video of the theft online and posted to social media with hundreds of thousands of followers throughout the process), but rather on the rationale for doing so.
Meanwhile, prosecutors argue that the issue is not why she took the chickens, but that she committed an illegal act.
“This is not a whodunit. This is a whodunit,” said Kevin Little, one of Rosenberg's lawyers, during his opening statement.
He said Rosenberg, who is charged with three misdemeanors and criminal conspiracy, researched the plant for two months before taking the birds and consulted with a veterinarian who was concerned about images showing animals being boiled alive. Chris Carraway, her other lawyer, said in a statement that this “was a rescue, not a crime.”
Rosenberg is an animal rights activist with the group Direct Action Everywhere, or DxE, which is known for animal rescues and protests that often attract national attention. Perdue Farms is one of the largest poultry producers in the country and supplies major grocery chains such as Safeway.
In recent years, similar cases involving animal rights activists have had mixed results before juries in the United States. But in California's Sonoma County, where agriculture is a major industry, Rosenberg faces an especially uphill battle. The county is believed to have more animal rights cases than any other county in the country, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
As a condition of remaining in custody, Rosenberg was required to wear an ankle monitor while attending classes at the University of California, Berkeley, until around the start of his trial last month.
“A huge amount of government resources were spent prosecuting me for the alleged 'crime' of rescuing four abused chickens from the Purdue slaughterhouse,” she wrote in an Instagram post on Monday.
“The saddest thing, however, is that these resources are not being spent on stopping criminal animal cruelty at Purdue facilities. Poppy, Ivy, Aster and Azalea are safe, but many others are not,” she said, referring to the names her group gave to the chicks she adopted.
Prosecutors allege Rosenberg entered Petaluma Poultry four times without permission and attached GPS devices to 12 vehicles before taking chickens from a trailer and leaving with them while about 50 DxE members demonstrated outside, the Press Democrat reported.
Another DxE member, Raven Deerbrook, faced similar charges before entering a plea agreement in June 2024. Last week, she identified herself as a former member of DxE and testified on behalf of Rosenberg, saying she began an investigation into Petaluma Poultry and notified Rosenberg of possible animal cruelty, the Press Democrat reported.
Rosenberg testified that she disguised herself as a Petaluma Poultry employee using a fake badge and earpiece, the Press Democrat reported. She and other group members filmed the action and shared it. She said she acted out of fear of animal cruelty and not as part of a criminal conspiracy.
Prosecutors say the refinery break-ins are consistent with Rosenberg's activism and are part of a coordinated campaign.
“Do you want open salvation to happen everywhere?” Deputy District Attorney Matt Hobson asked Rosenberg the question during cross-examination last week, the newspaper reported.
“Yes,” Rosenberg replied.
Rosenberg was previously arrested in April 2022 for chaining herself to a basketball post during an NBA playoff game between the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves. She protested Rembrandt Farms, which houses millions of chickens and is owned by then-Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, for alleged animal cruelty.
DxE says on its website that its mission is to close slaughterhouses everywhere.
“We will achieve revolutionary social and political change for animals in one generation,” the group says.
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Golden reported from Seattle.
