Zoe Rosenberg Faces House Arrest For Saving Four Suffering Chickens From Slaughter
Zoe Rosenberg, who is an animal cruelty investigator with Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), is heading to Sonoma County to complete the remainder of her 90-day sentence under house arrest following her rescue of four suffering chickens, Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea from slaughter.
She was released early from jail on December 24 after spending 14 days in solitary confinement. Reflecting on that time, Zoe shared in a statement released by DxE:
“Some days, I was only allowed out of my cell for 45 minutes and most days I didn’t get even a breath of fresh air. As I paced my small cell, I thought constantly of animals on factory farms who are deprived of nearly every basic freedom from the moment they are born until the day that they die.”
Despite the hardship, Zoe says the experience was worth it:
“Everything I have faced over the past three years, from wearing an ankle monitor to being incarcerated, has been worth it to know that Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea are receiving the love and care they always deserved.”
While incarcerated, Zoe continued advocating for animals, including writing an open letter to her judge explaining why she could not apologize to Perdue:
“To apologize would be to say that Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea deserved to stay where they were, packed in a crowded cage, bodies infected and aching, as they waited to enter a slaughterhouse kill floor where they’d be painfully shackled upside down and potentially even boiled alive if any part of the slaughter process malfunctioned, as it often inevitably does.”
Zoe also contacted California Attorney General Rob Bonta requesting intervention, though she is still awaiting a response. During house arrest, she plans to continue advocating from home and sharing calls to action on social media.
Her case unfolds alongside recent legal victories for animal rescuers abroad and in the U.S., reinforcing a growing movement to defend open rescue. Despite her felony conviction, Zoe remains determined:
“Despite my recent felony conviction, I don’t believe that animal rescue is a crime. I believe that the laws that are already on the books largely protect animals from abuse and make rescuing them legally justified. Unfortunately, these laws just aren’t being enforced because companies like Perdue and MBR Acres have so much financial power and influence. This is what we seek to change.”
Rescue is not a crime. Supporters are calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to issue a pardon and are encouraging the public to take action at FreeZoe.org.
Zoe closed with gratitude:
“Thank you all for your support throughout my prosecution and sentence. Even in the face of repression we can accomplish extraordinary things for our animal friends. Until every animal is free.”
