Animal rights activist Zoe Rosenberg to be released from jail this week, group says

Animal rights activist Zoe Rosenberg is expected to be released from the Sonoma County Jail on Wednesday after being approved to serve the final 60 days of her 90 day sentence on house arrest, according to a Monday announcement by the Berkeley protest group Direct Action Everywhere.

Rosenberg, 23, who turned herself in Dec. 10 after being sentenced Dec. 3 for a felony conspiracy conviction stemming from 2023 incursions at Petaluma Poultry, is being released early under California’s half-time credit for good behavior.

Rosenberg’s case was the most high-profile prosecution to stem from a series of demonstrations and farm breaches over several years targeting Petaluma-area poultry plants and farms. The protests were spearheaded by Direct Action Everywhere, or DxE, which has sought to spotlight what it claims are inhumane conditions in local animal farms. Members of the group also supported an attempt at the ballot box to outlaw large animal farms in Sonoma County, a measure that voters overwhelmingly rejected in 2024.

Farm operators have staunchly rejected activists’ claims and had pressured the District Attorney’s Office to prosecute Rosenberg and other involved Direct Action Everywhere members.

A Sonoma County jury found Rosenberg guilty Oct. 29 of one count of felony conspiracy and three misdemeanors after a nearly monthlong trial.

Judge Kenneth Gnoss ordered her to serve 30 days in jail and 60 days through a jail-alternative program — followed by two years of probation.

During her sentencing hearing, Rosenberg’s health was a focal point. She lives with Type 1 diabetes and gastroparesis, a condition that partially paralyzes the stomach and requires her to use a feeding tube.

Ahead of her sentencing, supporters feared jail time could be life-threatening for her because of her complex medical needs.

Cassie King, a spokesperson and organizer for DxE, said while she has been incarcerated, Rosenberg has been allowed one phone call a day. She updated friends and family that she was able to keep her insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor.

King said Rosenberg expressed doing “OK but not feeling well” but said their worst fears have not come true.

“The pressure from the public and the awareness of Zoe’s incarceration is helping to keep her safe in the jail,” King said. “It has been helpful that so many people have been following this case…”

A petition urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to pardon Rosenberg has garnered almost 40,000 signatures, King said, adding that staff from the governor’s office said the case is “on his radar” and the office is “looking into it.”

When Rosenberg is released Wednesday, she will be under strict house arrest orders, barring her from having any visitors, King said. She will only be allowed to leave her apartment for two hours a week to shop for groceries.

Representatives of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the jail, could not be immediately reached to confirm information about the planned release.

Contact Staff Writer Anna Armstrong at anna.armstrong@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @annavarmstrongg.