A cat in Southwest Bakersfield, Calif., swooped in and saved the day when 4-year-old Jeremy Triantatilo was attacked by a neighbor’s dog.

Cat Chases Dog Away From Boy

Jeremy had been walking his bike up his driveway, when a dog ran up and bit into his leg. As the dog proceeded to drag the boy down, family cat Tara sprinted to the rescue before the boy’s mother could get to her son, plowing into the dog. Making sure the dog didn’t come back, Tara chased him into the next yard before returning to Jeremy’s side.

Thankfully, Jeremy escaped with only the one gash on his leg and only needed a few stitches, his parents told ABC23. “Tara is my hero,” he said.

Roger Triantatilo, Jeremy’s father, was duly surprised and impressed with the behavior of the family cat. "I've never seen a cat do that," he admitted. "Especially ours. It just shows how much she really has a family-oriented mind set."

The dog that attacked Jeremy was immediately put under observation by Bakersfield Animal Control and will be euthanized, according to ABC 23.