A jury in California convicted an animal rights activist on Wednesday of stealing four chickens from a poultry plant in 2023.
The jury found Zoe Rosenberg, 23, a member of animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere, guilty of conspiracy, tampering with vehicles and two counts of trespassing, the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office said.
Rosenberg entered the facility on June 13, 2023, along with co-conspirator Raven Deerbrook, and proceeded to search through files, plant tracking devices and take the chickens, the district attorney’s office said.
The facility in question is a Perdue Farms subsidiary in Petaluma, California, 39 miles north of San Francisco.
The pair’s plan included fake uniforms and other disguises and renting out cars and a safe house for the stolen chickens beforehand. Rosenberg and others used the safe house to film the chickens to create content as part of the activist group’s campaign against the facility, the district attorney’s office said.
Rosenberg claimed that the chickens she stole “were covered in scratches and bruises, filled with parasites and battling infections” and described her actions as a rescue in a release last month from Direct Action Everywhere.
“Zoe Rosenberg and her associates illegally broke into Petaluma Poultry — not to save animals, but to steal sensitive company information. … Their actions triggered a temporary facility shutdown and posed contamination risks that created a more dangerous situation than they claimed to be addressing,” Petaluma Poultry spokesman Rob Muelrath said, according to The Associated Press.
Ms. Deerbrook entered a plea deal in 2024. The terms included paying $1,500 in restitution to Petaluma Poultry, staying at least 50 yards away from any commercial farms, 60 hours of volunteer work unrelated to animals or Direct Action Everywhere and avoiding all contact with Rosenberg, according to court records.
Following the verdict, Rosenberg said, “I will not apologize for taking sick, neglected animals to get medical care,” according to The Press Democrat.
Rosenberg’s attorney, Chris Carraway, said he was frustrated that jurors did not see photos from inside Petaluma Poultry or get access to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, according to The Press Democrat, and that he and Rosenberg plan to appeal her conviction.
Rosenberg is due back in court on Dec. 3 for sentencing. She faces more than five years in prison, according to AP.
Prosecutors called out the activist group’s actions as an attempt to use the legal system for free publicity.
“Unfortunately, some activist groups continue to show a deliberate disregard for the law, believing that their personal cause justifies criminal conduct. They have attempted to use the criminal justice system itself as a platform to gain attention and further their movement. The court system exists to uphold justice — not to serve as a stage for self-promotion or lawless behavior,” Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez said.
Rosenberg previously entered the news for chaining herself to a post near the seat of Glen Taylor, at the time owner of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves, during a playoff game in 2022, according to ESPN.
Mr. Taylor was targeted due to his ownership of the Rembrandt Enterprises egg facility in Iowa and how it treated chickens.
