In a case that has drawn national attention to the treatment of animals in slaughterhouses, a California woman faces serious legal consequences for removing four chickens from a prominent Perdue Farms facility. Zoe Rosenberg, 23, is on trial, accused of taking the chickens from Petaluma Poultry, a major supplier for Perdue Farms, and could potentially face over five years in prison.

As the trial nears its conclusion with closing arguments scheduled for Tuesday, Rosenberg’s defense has centered on the notion of rescue rather than theft. Throughout the seven-week trial, her legal team has not disputed the act of taking the chickens, a fact documented by Rosenberg herself through videos and social media posts shared with her large online following. Instead, they have argued that her actions were driven by a desire to save the chickens from abuse.

Prosecutors, however, maintain that the trial is not about the reasons behind Rosenberg’s actions, but rather the legality of the act itself. They emphasize that the case is straightforward: Rosenberg committed an unlawful act by taking the chickens.

“This is not a whodunit. This is a why-dunit,” declared Kevin Little, one of Rosenberg’s defense attorneys, during his opening statement. He explained that Rosenberg, who faces charges of three misdemeanors and felony conspiracy, had conducted a two-month investigation of the plant. During this period, she consulted a veterinarian who expressed concern over images suggesting that animals were being boiled alive. Chris Carraway, another member of her legal team, reinforced this perspective, stating, “This was a rescue, not a crime.”

Rosenberg is an active member of Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), an organization recognized for its bold animal rescues and high-profile protests. Perdue Farms, one of the nation’s largest poultry producers, supplies major grocery chains, including Safeway, making this case particularly significant in discussions about animal welfare practices in the food industry.

Rosenberg is an animal rights activist with the group Direct Action Everywhere, or DxE, which is known for animal rescues and protests that often garner national attention. Perdue Farms is one of the largest poultry producers in the country and supplies such major grocery chains as Safeway.

In recent years, similar cases involving animal rights activists have had mixed results in front of juries across the U.S. But in California’s Sonoma County, where agriculture is one of the main industries, Rosenberg faces an especially uphill battle. The county is believed to have prosecuted more animal rights cases than any other in the country, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

As a condition to stay out of custody, Rosenberg had to wear an ankle monitor while attending classes at the University of California, Berkeley, up until around the beginning of the trial last month.

“An immense amount of government resources have been spent prosecuting me for the alleged ‘crime’ of rescuing four abused chickens from a Perdue slaughterhouse,” she wrote in an Instagram post on Monday.

“Most distressing, however, is the fact that these resources are not being spent on stopping the criminal animal cruelty at Perdue’s facilities. Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea are safe but so many others are not,” she said, referencing the names her group gave to the chickens she took.

Prosecutors say Rosenberg entered Petaluma Poultry without authorization four times and attached GPS devices to 12 delivery vehicles before taking the 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 reaching a plea agreement in June 2024. She described herself as a former DxE member and testified for Rosenberg last week, saying she launched an investigation into Petaluma Poultry and notified Rosenberg about possible animal cruelty, the Press Democrat reported.

Rosenberg testified she disguised herself as a Petaluma Poultry worker using a fake badge and earpiece, the Press Democrat reported. She and other members of the group filmed the action and shared it. She said she was acting out of concern for animal cruelty, not as part of a criminal conspiracy.

Prosecutors say the break-ins to the processing plant fit a pattern of Rosenberg’s activism and were part of a coordinated campaign.

“You want open rescue to be something that happens everywhere?” Deputy District Attorney Matt Hobson asked Rosenberg 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 was protesting Rembrandt Farms, which houses millions of chickens and is owned by then Timberwolves’ owner Glen Taylor, for alleged animal abuse.

DxE says on its website that its mission is to shut down 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.