The freezer door was left open for 17 hours is the meat safe to refreeze or cook?

This depends on if the meat was fully thawed. If it was it may be okay to cook. If the meat sat for longer than an hour in the danger zone it may not be refrozen.You should keep foods out of the danger zone to prevent bacteria from forming on foods. Bacteria can form on foods in the danger zone after just an hour. According the the US FDA Code 2009, the danger zone is from 41°F to 135°F (7°C to 58°C).