Trial of a California woman who stole chickens puts slaughter houses in national spotlight

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A California woman on trial for taking four chickens from one of Perdue Farms’ major poultry plants has put animal treatment at slaughter houses in the national spotlight as her defense team argues she rescued the birds from abuse.

Closing statements are scheduled for Tuesday in a case that could land Zoe Rosenberg, 23, in prison for more than five years. During the seven-week trial, her defense hasn’t focused on if she took the chickens from Petaluma Poultry in 2023 — Rosenberg shared the video of the theft online and has posted on social media to hundreds of thousands of followers throughout the trial — but rather the justification for doing so.

Meanwhile, prosecutors have argued the case isn’t about why she took the chickens, but that she committed an illegal act.