He came at me again.

Enough was enough. This time, I combined his momentum with the speed of a throat punch. He stopped dead with a gurgled cry, finally slumping to the ground, gasping for breath.

Then the sirens.

Soon Nan’s smashed-up back room was filled with Wozza, Randall, Jane and ambos.

Once the threat of Bob Shepherd had been neutralised, I grabbed a towel from the linen cupboard and pressed it to the place on Waffles’ neck where the blood was seeping from. I didn’t move from my dog’s side. I cradled his head and felt his blood drying on my hands. When the ambos moved towards Bob, I called them over. ‘Please,’ I said desperately.

Ignoring the injured man, who Wozza pulled into a sitting position so he could breathe, the ambos pushed the couch to the side so they could see Waffles in the light. I moved the towel to show them the wound.

‘He’s lost a lot of blood,’ said the ambo gently.

‘Please do what you can.’ Tears spilled down my face as I watched the laboured rise and fall of Waffles’ chest. He was shaking as the medics swathed his injury with bandages to staunch the blood flow.

I could hear Jane on the phone to D24. ‘We need the name of the nearest vet clinic.’ A pause. ‘Shit! That’s too far.’ She turned to Wozza, a plea in her eyes.

‘Try Doc Caldicott,’ he said.

The medics helped us carry Waffles to a waiting police car. Wozza drove lights and sirens as I sat in the back seat, cradling my dog’s head in my lap. It took forever and no time at all to arrive at Doc Caldicott’s surgery. The lights were on and she met us at the door, holding it open as Wozza and I carried Waffles in. His breathing was even more laboured and a fever seemed to burn through him.

‘I’ve called the town vet. Andy is a mate of mine. He’s on his way. I’ll do what I can till he gets here.’

In an examination room, we lay my precious dog down on a table built for humans and watched Doc Caldicott examine the bandaged area. She snipped fur away from the wound site to get a better look. ‘I’ll staunch the bleeding to make it easier for when Andy gets here.’

Wozza put an arm around my shoulders and I leaned into him, shaking with terror at the thought that Waffles wouldn’t survive. My powerful dog looked so vulnerable.