That old saying would like to claim it's dogs who're man's best friend, but one cat has placed herself among the rank of even the most loyal canines — and she's got the medal to prove it.
Last year, harrowing video footage of a cat named Tara went viral after she was caught saving a young boy named Jeremy Triantafilo from a vicious dog attack. The dog grabbed ahold of the child while he was riding a bike, and Tara sprung to action by throwing her full weight into the animal and then chasing him away from Jeremy.
"The neighbor kids come over and play with her. Dogs walk by all the time. She gets along fine with our dog, Maya. But if Jeremy falls off his bike, she comes running. If he starts crying, she comes running," Roger Triantafilo, the boy's father, told the Chicago Tribune. Jeremy said, "She is my hero."
Two weeks later, the hero cat was honored with an invitation to throw the first pitch at the Bakersfield Blaze baseball game in Bakersfield, CA.
This week, Tara is the first of her kind to be presented with the 33rd Annual Hero Dog Award (yes, you read that correctly) from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Los Angeles chapter for her bravery. USA Today has the full report in the video.
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