On May 13, 2014, a family tabby cat named Tara became a global hero after saving her four-year-old companion, Jeremy Triantafilo, from a vicious animal attack. Jeremy was riding his bicycle in his California driveway when a neighbor's dog escaped, lunged at him, and began violently dragging him by the leg. Before anyone else could react, Tara charged out of nowhere like a streak of fury, body-slamming the much larger dog and chasing it completely out of the yard.
The incredible rescue was entirely captured on home surveillance footage, quickly going viral and turning Tara into an international internet sensation. While Jeremy required several stitches, he fully recovered thanks to his feline guardian's lightning-fast bravery. Highlighting her unprecedented courage, Tara made history as the first feline to ever receive the SPCA's prestigious National Hero Dog Award. You can read the complete historical breakdown of her incredible feat on the archived Newspapers.com Pet Heroes Feature.
You can read the full news coverage and see the official video of the incident on CBS News: "Tara" the hero cat video goes viral or read about her background and awards on Wikipedia: Tara the Cat.
