Stories to Inspire

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“I will not apologize.”

Those are the words Zoe spoke just moments after she was found guilty on felony and misdemeanor charges for rescuing four chickens from a Perdue slaughterhouse in Northern California. A few weeks later, at her sentencing hearing, in a courtroom packed with journalists and supporters, Zoe did apologize. She apologized to every animal she has failed to save.

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Zoe speaking at her sentencing hearing (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)

Speaking so defiantly in front of a judge is essentially unheard of, and heavily frowned upon, in ordinary criminal cases. *But nothing about Zoe’s case was ordinary.* It was not ordinary that the District Attorney chose to charge her with a felony for ‘conspiring’ to trespass, or that her trial took seven weeks, or that Perdue’s expensive lawyers watched the entire case, or that the defendant - Zoe - took the stand and openly admitted to exactly what she did.

*As a result, the impact of her trial was also anything but ordinary.
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Over 1,000 press hits. 250 million views on social media. 40,000 emails sent to Governor Newsom this month asking him to pardon Zoe. Hundreds of activists attending court support. Perdue completely on the defensive. A chance to make case law through an appeal.

This is the power of open rescue. This is what happens when we don’t shy away from saying what we believe and when we back those words up with action.

*Help us continue striving for the extraordinary in 2026. Today is the last day to contribute to our* *end-of-year fundraising drive* ( [link removed] ) *and we* are so grateful for your generous support. *All donations up to $100,000 are being tripled and everything beyond that will be doubled.
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It is also far from ordinary that Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea are still alive today. They were moments away from their death on June 13th, 2023 when Zoe carried them away to safety. Now, they’re over 2.5 years old and still thriving.

Whether it’s transforming individual lives or confronting billion-dollar corporations, ordinary people working together can change the world. So here’s to another year of bold action for animals!

Almira

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Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea in 2025

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