Poisonous Meatballs Used to Kill Dogs in Colorado Neighborhood

A dog in Longmont, Colorado is believed to have died after eating a meatball laced with rat poison. Dog owners in the neighborhood are now concerned for their pets' well-being after threats and poisonous meatballs have been scaring residents.

These meatballs have been found on numerous front yards throughout a neighborhood in Longmont and many believed this has been occurring since last year. One family even received a threatening note that said, "If you don't shut your dog up, I'll blow its head off." Law enforcement officials found a number of poisoned meatballs on front yards just yesterday.

Although laboratory tests haven't yet been confirmed, the Longmont Animal Control says that it's obvious the meatballs were laced with "d-Con", which is a common form of rat poison. Owners of two Dachshunds told reporters that their dogs brought a plastic bag containing the rat poison pellets into the house. Jeremy Jacobi, a local resident in the neighborhood, lost his Corgi after it was believed he consumed one of the meatballs in May. He died of organ failure a day later, which Animal Control said is a telltale sign of poisoning.

"It's just crazy and I just think, my first thought is, 'why don't you go talk to somebody about it, go talk to a human about it,'" said Kristi Scott, a resident who found poisoned meatballs on her lawn last June, in this USA Today article. "I just think somebody is a nut bag - and I think it's somebody in this neighborhood, which is disturbing."

Scott found one of the meatballs on her lawn last spring and notified others in the neighborhood about it. The hamburger meat contained the colorful rat poison pellets. But the issue finally made the news when a local homeowner found multiple meatballs in his yard as he was mowing the lawn on Saturday. He had received the letter last year that threatened to kill his dog if it didn't stop barking.

Similar happenings took place in San Francisco as early as February when 21 poisonous meatballs were found hidden in bushes and shrubs in the Twin Peaks neighborhood. The local police department and animal control officials advised residents to keep heir cats and dogs either indoors or on a short leash for the time being.

Longmont residents remain on the lookout for the culprit as well as any meatballs that end up on their front lawn. Law enforcement officials urged residents to contact them immediately if they find any more on their property.