Opening Statements in Felony Animal Rescue Trial

Photo: Leon Kunstenaar

OCTOBER 6, 2025, SANTA ROSA, CA - A jury heard opening statements today in the high-profile trial of animal rescuer Zoe Rosenberg, which began last month. A 12-person jury was sworn in on Thursday, 10/2, after seven days of jury selection. Over 300 potential jurors were summoned, significantly more than the usual number, due to extensive pre-trial publicity about the case. Ms. Rosenberg is charged with felony conspiracy and three misdemeanors for her June 2023 rescue of four chickens from Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse. Her charges carry a maximum sentence of nearly five years in jail.

Ms. Rosenberg is represented by Chris Carraway, Staff Attorney at the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project (AALDP) and Kevin Little of the Law Offices of Kevin G. Little. In 2023, Mr. Carraway successfully represented another animal rescuer who was acquitted of theft charges for rescuing a bird from a slaughter truck. 

Mr. Little delivered the defense’s opening statement today. He detailed Ms. Rosenberg’s extensive attempts to report what she believed to be unlawful animal cruelty at Petaluma Poultry prior to the 2023 rescue, including to the USDA, local police, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, Sonoma County Animal Services, and to the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office, “the very office prosecuting her today–and she was told they weren’t interested,” said Mr. Little. 

Mr. Little’s opening statement also discussed Ms. Rosenberg’s consideration of information compiled by ProPublica, which reported higher than average levels of infection at Petaluma Poultry; her personal investigation of the Petaluma Poultry plant over the two months prior to the rescue; an opinion from a veterinarian that expressing concern that images captured at the plant showed animals were being boiled alive; and an opinion from a former federal prosecutor that the rescue of animals who were unlawfully suffering would not be criminal.

“This is not a whodunit. This is a why-dunit,” said Mr. Little toward the end of his opening statement. 

Mr. Carraway who was present but did not present today in court, said, “Ms. Rosenberg has never denied having taken these birds, who now live peacefully on a sanctuary. We look forward to sharing with the jury why she did so, and we are optimistic they will recognize that this was a rescue, not a crime.”

Ms. Rosenberg is an animal cruelty investigator with the grassroots animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere (DxE). Petaluma Poultry is a “free range” and partially “organic” subsidiary of Perdue Farms, one of the largest poultry producers in the United States. It supplies to major grocery chains including Safeway and Trader Joe’s. For years, Ms. Rosenberg and other activists with Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) have reported to authorities unlawful animal cruelty at Petaluma Poultry and other county factory farms––as Ms. Rosenberg was doing when she was arrested. DxE says the District Attorney should prosecute documented animal cruelty and public health risks at Petaluma Poultry, rather than targeting a whistleblower who has helped expose these issues.