Animal Activist Zoe Rosenberg Convicted Felony Conspiracy in Sonoma County

Zoe Rosenberg, a 23-year-old animal rights activist from Berkeley and member of Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), was convicted by a Sonoma County jury of felony conspiracy and multiple misdemeanors related to a 2023 incident where she took four chickens from Petaluma Poultry, a facility supplying Perdue Farms. The trial revealed that Rosenberg and co-conspirators planned the incursion with disguises, false employee uniforms, GPS tracking devices, and a safe house, aiming to publicize conditions at the slaughterhouse through social media. Rosenberg defended her actions as an "open rescue," asserting her intent was to save animals she believed were suffering severe abuse, supported by video evidence and her testimony describing the chickens' poor conditions. Prosecutors, however, argued the operation was a deliberate stunt designed for publicity and disruption of legitimate business, emphasizing the unlawfulness of trespassing and tampering with property despite any political motives. The verdict was hailed by Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez as affirming that "no one is above the law," while Rosenberg's attorney criticized the prosecution as a misuse of taxpayer resources to protect a large corporation. Rosenberg faces up to five years in prison at sentencing, but remains committed to animal rights activism, with DxE continuing efforts to highlight alleged abuses at the facility.