Cat wins 'Hero Dog of the Year' award

You don't even have to be a cat person to admit that one feline in particular is pretty awesome.

Tara is so awesome that the 7-year-old tabby from Bakersfield, Calif., won a hero award meant for dogs, the 33rd Annual National Hero Dog Award.

Tara rescued 4-year-old Jeremy Triantafilo from a dog. You might remember Tara from the YouTube video of her springing into action — it has more than 24 million page views.

In the video, seen here and below, a medium-sized brown dog approaches the boy, who is trying to ride a small bicycle, and ferociously bites the boy's leg and begins dragging him through the yard. In a blur of motion, the cat fearlessly launches its body at the predatory dog and chases it off the property. The frightened boy manages to escape, but received eight stitches from the dog bite.

It is the first time the award, issued by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles, has been awarded to a non-dog in its 33-year history.

For her efforts, Tara was awarded a year’s supply of cat food from the SPCA and lots of extra attention from the adoring Triantafilo family.

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