Cat saves boy from dog attack: 'She's a hero!' says child of his pet Tara

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A four-year-old boy has declared his faithful cat a hero after she leapt to his rescue when a dog bit him and pulled him off his bike.

Jeremy Triantafilo was playing in the drive of his California home on Tuesday when the dog attacked him, only for Tara to fly in, hurl herself at the dog and chase it off down the street moments later.

The moment was caught on CCTV and spread like wildfire around the internet yesterday, attracting over 5 million views on YouTube.

Because this is the world we live in now, ABC News of course went to interview the boy 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.

The four-year-old 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.