DxE investigator and animal rescuer Zoe Rosenberg is on trial in Sonoma County, California. She is facing years in jail for rescuing four sick and injured chickens from Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse. All media has been denied access to the courtroom, but you can follow along through these Court Watch summaries, on our Perdue Rescue Trial X account, on our Instagram, and on UnchainedTV. Check back regularly for new updates. Want to take action? Sign the petition at RightToRescue.com and share the news with your friends and family.

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Monday, September 22nd

Today’s court proceedings consisted of two ‘402 hearings’ which will shape which witnesses are allowed to testify, in what capacity, and on what topics. 

First up was Carla Cabral. Carla is the lead of DxE’s animal care working group, as well as an experienced animal caretaker who has worked at multiple sanctuaries and was a formally trained veterinary technician. She provided care for the four birds Zoe rescued for about one month after they were rescued. Zoe’s lawyers attempted to qualify Carla as an expert in animal caretaking. Carla testified about her education and experience, as well as her overall opinion that the rescued birds were unwell. The prosecution attempted to discredit Carla’s experience while also alluding to possibly reporting her for practicing veterinary medicine without a license, but Judge Gnoss ruled that she would indeed be qualified as an expert witness in animal caretaking. Judge Gnoss also indicated that it is becoming very clear that the condition of the birds is a significant issue in this case.

Second was Raven Deerbrook, an animal investigator who specializes in investigating slaughterhouses. She entered Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse several times between April and June 2023, at least once with Zoe. Raven took photos of documents that she found inside the slaughterhouse, including USDA condemnation certificates. She testified that all exhibits were true and accurate copies of photographs she had taken. The prosecution questioned Raven aggressively about how she entered the slaughterhouse without permission “under cover of night,” and how she did not know who completed the records or what method was used to complete them. The prosecutor was attempting to show that the information contained in the records might not be true. Judge Gnoss indicated that he would not make a ruling this afternoon and would instead issue a ruling tomorrow afternoon, when the parties return to resume with another batch of prospective jurors. 

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