In this powerful episode of The Hen Report, Mariann Sullivan and Jasmin Singer speak with Steffen Seitz, a Yale Law School graduate and fellow with the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project at the University of Denver, about critical legal developments affecting animal rights activism across the United States.

This episode explores:

• The recent conviction of activist Zoe Rosenberg on felony and misdemeanor charges for rescuing sick chickens from a Petaluma slaughterhouse, and the court’s controversial denial of the necessity defense
• The groundbreaking Ridglan Farms case, where activists succeeded in forcing the shutdown of a major beagle breeding facility that supplied dogs for research after documenting severe animal welfare violations
• Updates on Wayne Hsiung’s appeal following his conviction for leading open rescue demonstrations, with support from organizations like the ACLU and Harvard’s Animal Law Clinic
• How strategic legal advocacy is creating precedents that challenge the industrial exploitation of animals while defending activists’ right to protest
• The growing importance of specialized legal support for animal advocates facing prosecution for compassionate actions

RESOURCES

• • • Animal Activist Legal Defense Project
    • Animal Activist Legal Defense Project on X
    • Animal Activist Legal Defense Project on Instagram
    • Animal Activist Legal Defense Project on Bluesky

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

The Veganic Summit is a free online event from November 7th-9th, 2025. You’ll learn how plant foods can be grown using techniques that are both vegan and organic, without any chemical fertilizers or any animal byproducts like manure or bonemeal. If you’d like to start your own veganic garden or learn about sustainable plant-based farming, sign up for the Veganic Summit today at https://veganicsummit.com/

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.

Between now and December 31, every donation up to $20,000 will be tripled! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.