photo credit: Marc Albert/KRCB
Speaking at the rally, psychiatrist Robert Daroff said slaughterhouse work can lead to alcoholism, depression and violence. 

As a steady flow of traffic rumbled by, about two dozen activists, most dressed in medical scrubs, stood outside a poultry processing plant on Lakeville Highway Wednesday morning.

They were there to show support for Measure J. That's the November ballot initiative supporters say aims to reduce cruelty to animals.

The rallying Yes on J supporters, many of them identifying themselves as healthcare professionals, argue that beyond mistreatment, large, hyper-efficient animal husbandry techniques put human health at risk.

They claim that crammed conditions enable epidemics among poultry, while widespread use of antibiotics in conventional ranching is generating superbugs impervious to treatment.

"It's my greatest concern that the avian flu is going to lead to another pandemic. there have already been reports of infected workers in farms in Colorado. It's well known that there are many more cases that have not been reported. With disease and mutation, it's only a matter of time," said nurse and activist Pam Baland. 

Opponents of Measure J say its passage would upend Sonoma County's agricultural sector. They argue that prohibiting large "concentrated animal feeding operations," as the ballot measure promises, would result in veterinarians, processors and suppliers closing up shop, leaving even small producers unable to survive financially.

The No on J campaign argues the measure would cause widespread business closures and impact consumers by raising the cost of dairy, eggs and poultry.

The site on Lakeville Highway is run by Petaluma Poultry, a firm now part of Purdue, one of the largest poultry producers in the nation.

Supporters of Measure J say the company operates multiple factory farms and the largest slaughterhouse in Sonoma County, and supplies chicken to major grocery chains, including Trader Joe's.

Animal rights activists allege specific pathogens have been documented at the Petaluma facility.

While Petaluma Poultry says it uses best practices and raises free range and organic birds, activist Carla Cabral argued that the need for profit can eclipse good animal welfare practices, threatening public health.

"Humans purposely, genetically modified them for profit. Altering them to produce more milk, more eggs or more flesh than their bodies can handle. Like the chickens that end up here at this slaughterhouse, they are bred to grow too big, too fast, so their bones don't form properly, leading to an inability to walk properly, or at all to get to food and water," Cabral said.

About an hour and a half after the rally in Petaluma wrapped up, about 20 campaigners appeared at a Santa Rosa courthouse.

That's where a hearing is took place in a case involving an animal rights activist and Petaluma Poultry.

Sebastopol Artist Karin Lease said like others, her presence was to show solidarity.

"The system is backwards," Lease said. "It's prosecuting Zoe and it should be prosecuting Purdue, because they are abusing animals and they are breaking laws and they are polluting the environment and they are incubating viruses and diseases and the cruelty alone, 49,000 chickens are killed every night in Petaluma. They're slaughtered," Lease continued.

Zoe Rosenberg, the defendant in the case, was accused of conspiracy, breaking and entering and theft. She said prosecutors have declined, so far, to offer a plea deal.

"It's possible that they want to make an example out of me, to scare other people who might rescue animals in the future. But, I'm confident that if we are able to show the jury what has happening at Purdue's Petaluma Poultry, the horrific criminal animal cruelty we have been documenting for years, that I'm confident that they will respond favorably and be sympathetic to what's happening to these animals," Rosenberg said.

According to organizers, this week's court action involved setting a date in November for a hearing to choose a trial date.

KRCB News will host a Measure J debate on September 18 at the downtown Santa Rosa public library.

You'll hear more information on our airwaves in the coming days.