A rescued mule in England who had just learned to trust humans and accept carrots after years of neglect was stabbed in the face

• A rescued mule in Sussex, England, was stabbed in the face in a random attack.
• According to the BBC, the animal had just learned to trust humans after 20 years of neglect.

Tommy, an old rescued mule at the Undercliff Pony Rescue in Rye, England, was stabbed in the face during a random attack on Monday.

According to the BBC, the twenty-year-old mule had been recovering at the center for two years and had just started to trust humans after years of neglect and abuse that he suffered before being rescued.

The rescue clinic's owner, Sharon Baker, told the BBC that after the attack Tommy had a hole in his cheek, and lost several teeth.

"We can heal the wound, but it's the mental scars that's going to take a long time," she told BBC.

"This person does need to be caught and brought to book over it," she added.

Local police are reportedly investigating the incident and a resident has put up a £1,000 ($1,386.70) reward for information leading to the arrest of the attacker.

Baker said that Tommy's "trust in humans was zero," when he was checked in to the rescue clinic. "It's only been the last six months that he's actually allowed you to touch him."

Tommy reportedly began to accept carrots from passersby over the last six months, showing a promising level of trust. And Baker believes that unfortunately, someone abused that newfound trust.

"Somebody has enticed him over to the fence and thought it would be funny to stab him in the face," she told BBC.

While it is still unclear what the motive was, the rescue center is raising funds to pay for Tommy's treatment and to install CCTV cameras near the site of the attack.