California Woman Could Be Facing Jail Time for Saving Baby Goats

Outside of its smoothies, Erewhon is known as a premium grocery store in Los Angeles, California, that aims to source pure, organic products. But according to Jamie (@itsjamiescorner) and Sally, animal rights activists, informed shoppers at Erewhon about Meyenberg, a brand that the grocery chain is partnered with.

Jamie said that Sally is facing half a decade in prison, and she wanted people to guess why. They had approached several shoppers in front of Erewhon, some of them dining outside.

“She probably didn’t do anything. If you guys are asking me, I bet she did nothing,” one woman holding the famed Erewhon smoothie said. She looked at Sally in doubt and asked her about her alleged crime.

“I and a team walked into a factory farm that had been investigated for animal cruelty. We found sick baby goats,” Sally explained. She continued by saying that she and the team took the baby goats for emergency medical care. The activist further stated that she had also seen dead goats on the farm.

“We came back and asked the authorities to go investigate the farm for the animal cruelty we had just seen, and they arrested us instead,” Sally alleged. She has been charged with theft for bringing the goats with her. According to Jamie, Sally is facing six and a half years in jail.

Activism through education

Sally alleged that the farm she infiltrated intends to “silence” her and fellow activists. The woman with the smoothie asked her if she planned to fight and if she needed help. Sally said that she and Jamie intend to mobilize people. She also wanted to let shoppers know that the farm she went to supplies Meyenberg, whose products were available for purchase at Erewhon.

“Everyone thinks that Erewhon is so great with animal welfare, but they’re not. And so, we’re getting them to sign a letter to say, ‘Please drop factory farms.'” Jamie gave a QR code leading to the petition for the women to sign.

“They need to actually live up to the values that they claim,” Jamie said. She also encouraged people to go vegan to “help animals.”

Sally and Jamie approached more people near Erewhon about the petition. Many of them were also surprised that Sally was facing prison, supposedly for her animal rights activism.

“Jail for a baby goat?” Another woman reacted when Sally informed her of the predicament she was facing. Someone else also called the charge against Sally “inhumane.”

Erewhon responds to the campaign

But Jamie has left a recent update, proving that their campaign has worked.

“Since filming, Erewhon has agreed to no longer stock Meyenberg products at their locations. We’re celebrating this win—and calling on Erewhon to take the next step by adopting a factory farm-free policy across its entire supply chain,” Jamie wrote on Instagram.

“We take animal welfare concerns seriously,” Erewhon told Direct Action Everywhere, another activist group. The luxury grocery retailer confirmed, “We do not plan to continue purchasing Meyenberg going forward.”

Upon checking the Erewhon official website, Meyenberg products are no longer available in store and on their website.

Although the issue has gone viral online, Meyenberg and the farm that the activists were pertaining to haven’t released a statement. Nevertheless, Jamie is still on a mission to help the rescuers involved in the supposed bust.

(featured images: Wikimedia Commons, JeepersMedia, Seray D. Mesebuken)

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