'Unimaginable': Search for suspect who stabbed dog 17 times on Long Island

NASSAU COUNTY, N.Y. (PIX11) -- The Nassau County District Attorney's Office needs help in finding the person responsible for a gruesome stabbing in Freeport that left a dog with multiple wounds on his body.

"I've seen some pretty horrific things but the extent of the amount of times he was stabbed is unimaginable how someone could ever do that," said Ashley Behrens, acting director of the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter.

Two-year-old terrier mix Cornell is walking, jogging, and thriving just one month after being found with 17 stab wounds across his body, according to county officials. Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly says it was on Nov. 27 when a woman found the canine bleeding along the road and decided to take him to a local animal shelter.

"Some of the stab wounds caused his lungs to leak air between his body cavity and his lungs and they had to be drained a number of times," Donnelly said. "The other stab wounds were cleaned -- were either stapled or sewn."

According to the district attorney's office, the woman made her first stop for help at Bobbi and the Strays Animal Shelter but was told the dog was too badly wounded for them to care for. She then made another stop at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, which took him to a vet to be treated for his injuries.

In a remarkable show of resilience Cornell, who the shelter named, survived. The Nassau County SPCA is now offering a $5,000 reward for information to find his attacker.

"We need to know what happened to this dog," said Donnelly. "If you have seen Cornell being walked down the street in your neighborhood. If you've seen Cornell in someone's backyard. If you've been anywhere where you think you think you have seen this dog, I ask you to call my animal crimes hotline."

The Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter is now searching for a new foster or adoptive home for the pup, who has made a full recovery. Meanwhile, officials urge someone to come forward.

"People start out on animals before they move into human beings," said Gary Rogers of the Nassau County SPCA. "Somebody in the community knows what happened. You got to keep your community safe. You need to call the DA's office and tell them who did this because next time you're going to look at this it could be somebody else."

Donelly told PIX11 that the woman who found Cornell has been questioned and is not a suspect in the investigation. She also said that the person responsible could face a slew of misdemeanors and felonies for aggravated cruelty to animals.

Anyone with information is asked to call the animal crimes hotline at 516-571-7755.