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Cornell, a 2-year-old terrier mix, has had a rough holiday season.
The pup was found bleeding on the street by a Good Samaritan on Monday, Nov. 27 in the area of Washburn Avenue in Freeport with at least 17 stab wounds to the side.
Now that he has recovered, the Nassau County District Attorney and the county’s SPCA are looking for the person who did this.
After he was found, the newly-named Cornell was taken to the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter and a vet hospital in Farmingdale, where he underwent surgery.
Some of his stab wounds had punctured his lungs, causing them to leak air into his body.
DA Anne T. Donnelly said that Cornell is otherwise a healthy-looking dog, and that the injuries are not consistent with dog fighting nor any sort of self-defense.
“I’m here to ask for the public’s help,” she said. “We need to know what happened to this dog.”
Ashley Behrens, the acting director of the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, said that Cornell is a sweet dog who warms up quickly to those he spends time with.
“It was pretty jarring to see how he came in,” she said. “Any of these wounds could’ve hit a major organ…had he not gotten medical attention, it could’ve been a different outcome for sure.”
While Cornell, who was named after singer Chris Cornell by the staff at the shelter, is in a foster home where he can relax and continue his recovery, the authorities are searching for the person who stabbed him.
DA Donnelly stressed that she takes these animal crimes very seriously, thanking the Nassau County SPCA for the $5,000 reward they are offering for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
The perpetrator will face numerous misdemeanor charges and even a potential felony of aggravated cruelty to an animal.
Nassau County SPCA Board President Gary Rogers emphasized how important it is that the animal abuser is caught.
“People start out on animals before they move onto human beings,” he said.
“The next time…it could be someone else. It could be your child.”
Anyone with information regarding the dog’s owner – whether they’ve seen Cornell being walked in their neighborhood, in someone’s backyard, or otherwise – is encouraged to call the Animal Crimes Hotline at 516-571-7755.
All calls will remain anonymous.
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