A student from the University of California, Berkeley, has been sentenced to jail after leading a break-in at a commercial poultry farm to remove animals she claimed were in distress.
The Conviction and Sentence
Zoe Rosenberg, 23, was convicted in October on one count of felony conspiracy and three misdemeanour charges related to the incident. At a sentencing hearing this week, she was ordered to serve 90 days in jail, though 60 of those days may be served through alternatives like house arrest.
This is significantly less than the maximum sentence of four and a half years she could have faced. The court also mandated that Rosenberg pay more than $100,000 in restitution to Petaluma Poultry, a facility owned by Perdue Farms. She is required to report to Sonoma County jail on 10 December.
The 2023 Farm Action
The case stems from a 2023 incident where Rosenberg and fellow activists from the group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) entered a Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco. Disguised as workers, they removed four chickens, later named Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea, and transported them to an animal sanctuary.
The group filmed the action and posted it online. During her trial, Rosenberg did not deny taking the birds but framed it as a necessary rescue from cruelty. "I will not apologise for taking sick, neglected animals to get medical care," she stated after her conviction.
Wider Debate on Animal 'Right to Rescue'
The case has ignited a fierce debate about animal welfare and property rights. Activists argue that so-called 'right to rescue' laws in California and 13 other states, which protect people who enter vehicles to save animals, should extend to all animals in distress.
A spokesperson for DxE told The Guardian the group has coordinated 60 similar operations across the US since 2014. However, the agricultural industry views such actions as criminal. Petaluma Poultry has labelled DxE an extremist group, a sentiment echoed by the Sonoma County Farm Bureau, which accused the activists of harassment, trespass, and theft.
The case has drawn high-profile commentary, with actor Joaquin Phoenix issuing a statement in support of Rosenberg, arguing society should protect those who help the vulnerable rather than prosecute them.
