Her name is Tara and she’ll go down in history as a hero. She’s the pet cat who saved a boy from a dog attack. The astonishing security camera video of Tara chasing off a dog has gone viral and rightfully so.

In the video, four year old Jeremy Triantafilo from Bakersville, California is playing in his driveway on his tricycle. The neighbor’s dog rounds the corner, bites him on the leg and begins pulling him. Suddenly Tara the cat, flings herself at the dog and chases it around a car to make sure it leaves her young pet owner alone. Then she returns to Jeremy to make sure he is okay.

Watch the astonishing video. Warning content at the end is graphic.

Tara is a stray. Six years ago, the grey tiger striped kitty “adopted” the Triantafilo family, after following the couple - Roger and Erica home.

The Triantafilos used to let Tara sleep in Jeremy’s crib when he was an infant. Perhaps this is why she became attached and protective of him.

They also have younger twin sons. All three boys sometimes tug and pull on the cat but she takes it patiently.

Recently NOVA’s Dogs And Super Senses profiled how dogs view the world. I am sure their findings can extend to cats and how they bond with humans.

We won’t truly know what goes on inside the minds of animals. But I’m sure Jeremy and his parents are definitely appreciative of the protective instincts of Tara the cat.