Fourteen-year-old sheltie Max was minding his business last Wednesday when his owner, Judy Kelly, heard him blurt out a blood-curdling yelping from the family’s back yard on Clarendon Street in Springfield. Max was being mauled.

“There was two red pit bulls. One was actually on Max, dragging him on his back. The other one was standing by, like in a frenzy. At that point Max wasn’t moving. He was just being dragged by the other pitbull," Kelly said.

The screams of Kelly did not faze the two pitbulls; it was clear the dogs were intent, or trained, to kill.

"They were fully focused on destroying him. All of sudden, they turned and were gone at a whistle. So it must have been the owner who was out running them. He must have heard my screams if I heard his whistle, but he never showed himself," Kelly said.

After the attack, Max was rushed to the animal hospital where veterinarians put 26 staples around his neck, drains out his throat, and an edema in his chest. Max also lost part of his ear. It is miracle he is alive. It is also a possible forewarning of a tragedy in the making.

"I love my animals, but I do see a difference between humans and pets and a small child would have no sort of defensive mechanism against these dogs," Kelly said.

The pitbulls nor the owner have been seen in the McKnight neighborhood since. If you have any information, you can reach out to the Thomas J. O’Connor animal control and adoption center at (413) 781-1484 or http://www.tjoconnoradoptioncenter.com.