Zatara (Tara for short),[5] is a female tabby cat who rose to international fame in May 2014 when she stopped a dog attack against her owners' four-year-old child in Bakersfield, California, United States. When a neighbor's Labrador-mix attacked the son, the cat leapt at the dog causing it to stop biting and run away. The moment was recorded on household surveillance. After the footage was uploaded on YouTube, it received more than 16.8 million views in the first 48 hours.[6]
| Species | Cat |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Born | Zatara (Tara for short) April 18, 2008 Bakersfield, California, USA |
| Known for | Rescuing her family's child from a dog's attack |
| Title | The Hero Cat |
| Owner | The Triantafilo family |
| Appearance | Tabby cat |
| Awards |
Family pet
editThe cat joined the Triantafilo family in 2008 after it followed parents, Roger and Erica Triantafilo, home.[7] They named her Tara because it was the pet form of 'Zatara'; the name smugglers gave to Edmond Dantès in The Count of Monte Cristo. The smugglers said it meant driftwood.[5][8]
Dog attack
editOn May 13, 2014, Jeremy Triantafilo, a four-year-old boy, was riding his bicycle in his family's driveway in Bakersfield, California when Scrappy, a neighbor's eight-month-old Labrador-Chow mix cross, came from behind and bit his leg.[9] As the dog began dragging Jeremy down his driveway, Tara, who the family states was very attached to Jeremy, tackled the dog and chased him away before returning to Jeremy's side to check on him.
Jeremy needed ten stitches in his left calf following the attack. He quickly recovered and was thankful for Tara's actions calling her "my hero".[10]
Awards and commendations
editA few days later, minor league baseball team Bakersfield Blaze invited the cat, assisted by Jeremy's family, to throw the first pitch at a Bakersfield minor league baseball game in Sam Lynn Ballpark as a recognition for her deed.[11] In the same spirit, Cat Fanciers' Association announced Tara as the recipient of its first-ever Cat Hero Award.[1][12]
On June 3, 2014, the Bakersfield Board of Supervisors proclaimed June 3 Tara the Hero Cat Day.[8]
On August 15, 2014, Tara was awarded the Special Award For Cat Achievement by the Cat Vid Festival.[2]
On September 26, 2014, Tara was awarded the Blue Tiger Award; an award only awarded to military service dogs.[3]
Tara became the first non-human to be named the grand marshal for Bakersfield's Christmas parade in 2014.[13]
On June 19, 2015, Tara was awarded with the Los Angeles SPCA's "Hero Dog" award, for which she also won a year's supply of cat food.[4]
On New Year's Day, 2018, Tara and her family rode in the Rose Parade on the Lucy Pet Foundation Paws for Life float honoring heroic animals.[14]
Aftermath
editThe eight-month-old Labrador-Chow mix Scrappy was surrendered by its owners to the City of Bakersfield Animal Care Center on May 13. It then began a mandatory ten-day quarantine period to determine whether the animal had rabies.[15]
After the video of Tara went viral, websites and online petitions called for the dog not to be put down. Animal Care Center director Julie Johnson said they were also flooded with phone calls asking for the dog to be saved.[16] However based on the observations in the kennel during the quarantine period, the dog remained classified as "vicious" and "dangerous"; so adoption requests were denied.[17]
Following the mandatory 10-day quarantine period, Scrappy "was humanely euthanized over the weekend" of May 24, 2014.[10][15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Tara, the Hero Cat, Receives Offers to Appear on Magazine Covers". Softpedia. May 16, 2014.
- ^ a b "Walker Art Center Internet Cat Video Festival Golden Kitty Awarded to 8 Signs of Addiction". Walker Art Center. August 14, 2014. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014.
- ^ a b "Tara "The Hero Cat" to receive Blue Tiger Award in Bakersfield Sept. 26, 2014". 23ABC News. September 23, 2014. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014.
- ^ a b "Cat Wins 'Hero Dog' Award". NPR. June 19, 2015.
- ^ a b "The Story of Tara". Archived from the original on April 8, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
- ^ "My Cat Saved My Son". YouTube. May 14, 2014. Archived from the original on May 27, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2016."This video has been removed for violating YouTube's policy on violent or graphic content"
- ^ "Finding Fame: Tara the Hero Cat". January 30, 2015.
- ^ a b "Kern County proclaims 'Hero Cat Day'". BakersfieldNow. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- ^ "Dog vanquished by hero cat is put down". New York Post. May 28, 2014.
- ^ a b "Dog chased away by hero cat Tara is euthanized". The Bakersfield Californian. May 27, 2014.
- ^ "Tara the cat uses charm offensive on Blaze". BakersfieldCalifornian.com. May 20, 2014.
- "Tara the hero cat will 'throw out' first pitch at a minor league game". Los Angeles Times. May 17, 2014. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014.
- "Tara the Hero Cat 'throws' out first pitch at minor-league game". The Washington Post. May 21, 2014.
- "Saviour cat Tara in California gets baseball 'offer'". BBC News. May 17, 2014. Archived from the original on May 20, 2014. - ^ "Hero Cat: Call the Groomer ... Cover Photo Shoot in Works". TMZ. May 15, 2014.
- ^ "Her Santa claws out, Tara the cat is Christmas parade's marshal". The Bakersfield Californian. November 28, 2014.
- ^ "Bakersfield's Hero Cat, who saved boy from biting dog, to be Honored on Rose Parade Float". Bakersfield Californian. December 28, 2017.
- ^ a b "Dog That Was Chased Away by Heroic Cat Has Been Put Down". Time. May 26, 2014.
- ^ "Online petitions ask that California dog be spared". The News-Times. Danbury, CT. May 21, 2014.
- ^ "Calls come in to adopt dog that attacked boy; shelter says no". The Bakersfield Californian. May 16, 2014. Archived from the original on August 6, 2014.
External links
edit- Tara Hero Cat - Official, Facebook page
- "My Cat Saved My Son", YouTube, May 15, 2014 (re-uploaded version of original without graphic image of wound)