Keeping their kids secure is the greatest instinct of any parent. It dominates any activity and is a primary urge that none of us can ever disregard.

Robert Joseph Quick was no different – for his little daughter, he would do anything.

Sadly, after being fatally injured, Robert passed away during the weekend saving the life of his five-year-old daughter, who was being mauled by a dog.

Police officers were called at 10:31 a.m., Fox News reports, to a Fort Madison, Iowa home near the Old Iowa State Prison.

Police had heard reports of a dog attack and rushed to the scene.

The policemen saw “a big dog” attacking Robert Joseph Quick when they arrived. The father was lying on his back in the front yard, badly wounded.

The vicious dog would not let go of the Quick, giving few alternatives to police. so the deputies chose to shoot the dog to stop the attack.

Quick did not concentrate on his own wounds. He had only one thought in his mind: his daughter. According to reports, he told the police officers to check on his little girl, who had been attacked by the dog first.  They found the girl and administered first aid.

Sadly, the courageous dad didn’t make it. He was taken to the hospital, but there was nothing the physicians could do. Shortly after arriving, he was pronounced dead. His heroic actions will never be forgotten. Not by his family or his community.

“Mr. Quick had defended his daughter and undoubtedly saved her life by his actions,” the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

According to the GoFundMe page that was set up to assist in funeral costs, Quick suffered a heart attack at the scene. “He had a heart attack at the scene of the accident by the time the EMT’s got to him,” the GoFundMe page stated.

The dog belonged to a family member, the breed was not identified.   Authorities said the dog is now being cared for by the homeowners of the house where the attack took place.

Quick is survived by his wife and their four children.  Please pray for the family he leaves behind.