Tara the Hero Cat, who saved 4-year-old Jeremy Triantafilo from a neighborhood dog in California, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a minor league baseball game Tuesday.
Tara was held by owner Roger Triantafilo as a baseball tied to a fishing line was pulled toward home plate at a game of the Bakersfield Blaze, an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
Tara the Hero Cat threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Bakersfield Blaze baseball game (photo Twitter)
The cat became an Internet sensation last week after surveillance video of her rushing a dog that was mauling the boy went viral.
Jeremy Triantafilo, Roger’s son, was playing in his family’s driveway in Bakersfield, California, when the K-9 ran up and grabbed his leg.
Tara, a stray adopted by the Triantafilo family six years ago, pounced into action and chased off the attacker.
Jeremy Triantafilo received 10 stitches for two lacerations to his calf. The dog was quarantined and will reportedly be euthanized.
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Tara, the Bakersfield cat who was caught on video saving a boy from a dog attack, has been invited to “throw” the first pitch at a baseball game.
Tara would appear at the next home game of the minor league team Bakersfield Blaze, its representatives said.
“It sounds crazy. But we’ve got a trick up our sleeve,” team member Dan Besbris said, without giving further details.
Tara the cat was caught on video saving 4-year-old Jeremy Triantafilo from a dog attack (photo Today Show)/NBC)
Tara became a YouTube sensation after saving four-year-old Jeremy Triantafilo from the neighbor’s dog attack.
The California family’s CCTV video shows the dog biting and dragging the boy in a driveway in Bakersfield earlier this week.
The cat then pounces on and chases away the dog, described as a Labrador-Chow mix.
Jeremy Triantafilo – who needed stitches after the attack – praised his cat.
“She’s a hero,” he said.
The dog is now in quarantine and is expected to be put down.
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A 4-year-old boy had a lucky escape when his neighbor’s dog attacked him while playing on his bike.
The family cat pounced on the dog and chased him off.
Jeremy Triantafilo was playing in the drive of his Bakersfield, California, home on Tuesday when the dog attacked him, only for Tara the cat to fly in, hurl herself at the dog and chase it off down the street moments later.
Jeremy Triantafilo was playing in the drive of his Bakersfield, California, home on Tuesday when the dog attacked him (photo CCTV Roger Triantafilo)
The moment was caught on CCTV and became viral the internet yesterday, attracting over 5 million views on YouTube.
ABC News went to interview Jeremy Triantafilo and his parents, who explained that Tara followed them home from the park five years ago and has lived with them ever since.
The cat immediately took to sleeping in Jeremy’s crib with him when he was a baby, and formed a strong bond with the boy as was proven in her fearless rescue.
Jeremy Triantafilo received a nasty bite from the dog that needed stitches, but is now recovering at home.
Bakersfield police identified the attacking dog as an eight-month-old Labrador-Chow mix, who apparently was known for having a dislike for children and bicycles.
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