Tara found her new family years ago, when she followed Erica Triantafilo home, on a walk outside Bakersfield, California. Even though Erica is allergic to cats, she always felt the amber-eyed, large tabby was special. She was right. “After Jeremy was borne, we would find Tara cuddled up next to him, in his crib”, she stated. Little did they know, some day Tara would claim “her Lassie moment”, by saving her young master.
Recently, four-year-old Jeremy Triantafilo was playing on his bike in his driveway. Captured by home security cameras, from nowhere bounded a muscular tan dog, viciously grabbing his leg.
The dog attempts to pull Jeremy away. Tara sprang into action and disrupted the attack. We all know of incidents when a dog has put itself in harm’s way to protect a human…but you see, Tara is a cat!
It was a sunny day; Jeremy was playing out front with his mom nearby. Suddenly, she heard him shout for help, and she ran to him. The family rushed Jeremy to the hospital where he received ten stitches on his left leg. They had no idea Tara had intervened, by opening a can of “whoopcat” onto the neighbor’s dog; until Jeremy’s dad, Roger reviewed the security tapes. The next-door neighbor’s mixed breed dog appears to stalk Jeremy, with aggressive intention. Hackles raised, Tara pounces on the dog, and chases him back to his yard. She then returns to Jeremy. Doesn’t sound very cat-like, does it? “A hush has fallen over the internet world! Why? Because a cat did SOMETHING that made everyone go, “WHAT?” As a culture, we just recognized a cat saved a boy”, stated cat specialist, Jackson Galaxy from his Cat Mojo channel. “We know the depth of cat emotions.
They have feelings, as we do. This is truly a Lassie moment!” The neighbor’s dog was taken into quarantine for ten days, and will most likely be euthanized. Dogs’ behavior results from their environment. This “guard dog” was probably not socialized, and was protecting his territory from an intruder.
Tara’s selfless actions prove a rescued animal knows and appreciates the kindness of accepting them into a family. Let us send a round of apaws and fresh catnip to Tara the heroine cat!