Nearly four years ago, Tara the cat made national headlines after saving her mildly autistic 4-year-old owner from a vicious dog attack.
The incident occurred in May of 2014 and was captured on the family’s surveillance camera. The video shows Jeremy Triantafilo, only 4-years-old at the time, riding his tricycle in the family’s driveway.
Out of nowhere, a neighbor’s dog notices the child and approaches him from behind. Within seconds, the dog latches on to the boy’s leg, pulling him to the ground like a ragdoll.
“The dog sunk his teeth into [Jeremy’s] leg, and pulled him from his bike while violently shaking him,” a release from SPCA Los Angeles described.
The boy’s mother told HLN, “[Jeremy] was just playing outside a little bit; I was watering some plants before we headed on in. The next thing I know the dog was just there, and it was shaking him.”
Faster than the blink of an eye, Tara, the family’s 6-year-old cat, sprang into action. The cat launches herself at the vicious dog, slamming it with her whole body. The scared dog begins to retreat, but Tara keeps chasing him until she’s sure that it’s gone.
“Before I could even get there, my cat clobbered [the dog],” Jeremy’s mom told HLN. “She saved the day, chased him away and then came back to [Jeremy] after the dog was gone.”
Thanks to Tara, Jeremy only needed 10 stitches. As far as most people are concerned, she probably saved his life.
The family posted their surveillance footage of the incident to YouTube. Within the first day, it had already received 4.5 MILLION views. The footage was broadcast by media outlets in Germany, Australia, Taiwan, Russia, and more. As a result of Tara’s heroic actions, the Triantifilo family also became local celebrities in their hometown of Bakersfield, California. Jeremy dropped the puck at the Bakersfield Condors game. Tara threw the first pitch at Sam Lynn Ballpark and served as grand marshall for the 2014 Bakersfield Christmas parade.
In addition to all the glory, Tara was also (hilariously) named “National Hero Dog” of the year by SPCA LA. Here she is posing with her award.
Madeline Bernstein, president of SPCA LA, told KTLA5, “We were so impressed by Tara’s bravery and fast action that the selection committee decided that a cat this spectacular should be the National Hero Dog.”
Although it’s been four long years since Tara saved Jeremy from their neighbor’s vicious dog, California’s Hero Cat is still getting attention to this very day. This year, the ferocious feline was honored at the 2018 Rose Parade, being invited to ride along as one of Lucy Pet’s heroic animals.
Although Tara has had a taste of international fame, she’s not letting her head get too big. In a 2017 interview with ABC7, her family says, “She’s very much returned to being a normal cat for all of our children.”
See the footage of Tara saving Jeremy below!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
