NASSAU COUNTY, N.Y. (WPIX) — Authorities in New York are asking for help finding the person responsible for a gruesome stabbing of a dog.

Two-year-old terrier mix Cornell was found with 17 stab wounds across his body in Long Island on Nov. 27, according to Nassau County officials. A woman found the dog bleeding along the road and took him to a local animal shelter, said District Attorney Anne Donnelly. The shelter took him to a veterinarian to be treated.

“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.”

“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.

In a remarkable show of resilience Cornell, who the shelter named, survived. 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. 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.”

“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 Nexstar’s WPIX 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.