A Falmouth father was forced to stab his dog to death to stop it from mauling his one-year-old daughter this morning.

"The preliminary investigation indicates that the child was playing in the kitchen with the father nearby. The family pit-bull terrier attacked the child and bit her in the face causing major trauma," a Falmouth police statement said.

"The father immediately attempted to separate the dog from the child, but was unable. He retrieved a pistol from an adjacent room, but when he realized that it was not loaded he grabbed a knife and began stabbing the animal in order to protect the child. The dog was fatally wounded," police said.

Police and medics were called to the home at 8:54 .m., and the girl was transported first to Falmouth Hospital and then flown to a Boston hospital.

Police said the family has owned the dog for 5 years and it had "no known history of violence or aggression." Police added, "the attack appears to have been unprovoked."