Overview
- Zoe Rosenberg, 23, faces a felony conspiracy count and three misdemeanors carrying more than five years of potential prison time for taking four chickens from Petaluma Poultry in 2023.
- Prosecutors say she repeatedly entered the facility without authorization, attached GPS devices to 12 delivery trucks, and removed the birds during a coordinated demonstration by roughly 50 activists.
- The defense argues she investigated suspected cruelty, consulted a veterinarian, and acted to save four ill birds she later named Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea.
- Judge Kenneth Gnoss declined to instruct jurors on a necessity defense, narrowing deliberations to Rosenberg’s intent and the legality of her actions.
- Perdue and Petaluma Poultry dispute abuse claims and describe Direct Action Everywhere as extremist, while prior DxE cases have seen mixed outcomes in Sonoma County and acquittals elsewhere.