A father in Iowa reportedly died late last month after saving his 5-year-old daughter from a dog attack.
According to the Des Moines Register, Robert Joseph Quick, 33, died May 31, after being attacked by a boxer hound while picking up an inoperable car with his family in Fort Madison. His mother, Deb Newman, claimed that the “very big” dog went after Quick, his daughters, and another man at the home.
A statement issued by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office stated that responding deputies found Quick lying on his back as the dog attacked him in the front yard. The dog was reportedly so aggressive that officers had to shoot it to stop the attack.
Police said that the gravely injured father instructed deputies to care for his 5-year-old daughter, who the dog had initially attacked. The girl suffered bites but is expected to survive and is recovering, according to the Register.
“Mr. Quick had defended his daughter and undoubtedly saved her life by his actions,” police wrote.
While authorities haven’t revealed a cause of death, a GoFundMe page created to cover burial expenses said the father of four suffered a heart attack before emergency crews arrived. He was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after the attack.
“(There were) bites in Joey’s jugular vein in the left-hand side of his neck, and then there were bites in his right arm,” Newman said she was told. “His nose was ripped open, he had blood coming out his ears. There was a bite mark on his temple, and there were bite marks on his hands.”
Fox News reported that the dog belonged to a relative of the homeowners and that they were watching it when the May 31 attack occurred. On Friday, Lee County Chief Deputy Will Conlee that they’re investigating the incident and they haven’t ruled out criminal charges, according to the Register.
“That’s the kind of person he is,” Newman said of her late son’s reported actions.
“I know he’s a hero.”
[Featured image: Robert Joseph Quick/GoFundMe]
