Meatball poisoning kills dog in San Francisco, reward rises in case

(CBS) SAN FRANCISCO - In the case of the poisoned meatballs, the reward is up to $5,000 for information about suspects who left the tainted food throughout San Francisco, leading to one dog's death last week, a spokeswoman for the Animal Legal Defense Fund said.

"The citizens of San Francisco are up in arms over this sadistic crime," the group's Executive Director Stephen Wells said in a statement, CBS San Francisco reported.

The organization is teaming with VegNews Magazine and Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman to offer the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators.

Police discovered the tainted meatballs in San Francisco's Diamond Heights and Twin Peaks neighborhoods earlier this month.

Police said the meatballs contained strychnine and believe they were left out in a malicious plan to kill dogs, CBS San Francisco reported.