A California animal welfare activist will serve 90 days in jail after taking four chickens from a major poultry facility in what she described as a rescue mission.
According to The Associated Press, Zoe Rosenberg, 23, was convicted in October of felony conspiracy, trespassing, and related charges following a seven-week trial in Sonoma County, a key agricultural region of Northern California.
She argued that her actions were necessary to save the birds from alleged neglect, but the jury disagreed.
Rosenberg was sentenced on Wednesday and is scheduled to report to Sonoma County Jail on Dec. 10.
While her sentence is 90 days, 60 of those may be served through alternatives such as house arrest. She also received two years of probation and is prohibited from entering any Perdue facilities in the county.
“I will not apologize for taking sick, neglected animals to get medical care,” Rosenberg said after her conviction. The four chickens, named Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea by her animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), were placed in a sanctuary.
Rosenberg’s actions involved disguising herself as a Petaluma Poultry worker, using a fake badge and earpiece, and documenting the rescue on social media.
Petaluma Poultry, a subsidiary of Perdue Farms, called DxE an extremist group intent on harming the animal agriculture industry and maintained that the chickens were not mistreated.
DxE, a Berkeley-based organization, has a history of high-profile activism. The group’s co-founder was convicted two years ago for his role in protests at factory farms in Petaluma.
Despite the legal consequences, Rosenberg has expressed no regret. “We did what we felt was morally necessary,” she said.
The case highlights ongoing tensions between animal rights activists and large-scale agricultural operations, raising questions about the limits of civil disobedience in the fight against alleged animal cruelty.
Authorities maintain that property laws and security measures are in place to protect farms, while activists argue that intervention is sometimes required when animals are at risk.
Rosenberg’s sentence and the public attention surrounding the case are likely to keep the debate over animal welfare and activist tactics in the spotlight.
