Hollywood star Joaquin Phoenix has injected himself into the high-profile case of animal activist Zoe Rosenberg, who faces sentencing for taking four chickens from a Perdue Farms facility in Petaluma.
According to the Press Democrat, Phoenix released a statement calling on the Sonoma County District Attorney to prosecute the Petaluma Poultry facility for cruelty instead of the activist. Rosenberg was convicted last month of felony conspiracy for the 2023 action and faces over four years in prison. Phoenix argues, “Compassion is not a crime.”
The facility’s owner, Perdue Farms, denies all cruelty claims, stating the plant is committed to proper animal care and is regularly inspected. Rosenberg’s legal team plans to appeal the conviction.
