A young boy was saved from a dog attack when his family cat rushed to his aid, pouncing on the larger animal and chasing it away. It may sound unbelievable, but the whole event was captured on the family’s CCTV.

In Bakersfield, Calif., 4-year-old Jeremy Triantafilo was playing on a tricycle outside his house when a young dog attacked for no apparent reason. The animal grabbed the child by his leg and attempted to drag him away. Within moments, the family cat, Tara, appeared, pouncing on the dog and chasing it away. Although the cat is strikingly smaller than its canine counterpart, it was still able to chase away the dog and allow the boy to reach safety. Roger Triantafilo posted the video to YouTube this morning, adding the caption, “Thankfully, my son is fine!”

The Week reports that the young boy is recovering from the attack. His mother, Erika Triantafilo, was standing nearby when the attack occurred and didn’t have time to register what actually happened. “I didn’t really even realize what happened until after when my husband showed me the surveillance video,” Triantfilo told KERO-TV. Her son required 10 stitches due to the large bite wound, but he will surely not forget what his beloved pet did for him. “Tara is my hero,” the 4-year-old told KERO.

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Four-year-old Jeremy required 10 stitches after the attack. Screenshot/Youtube Youtube screenshot

Tara, a tabby cat, entered the Triantafilo family in 2008. She is described as a loving pet who answers when called, but still the family is astonished that her loyalty stretched this far. “I’ve never seen a cat do that. Especially ours. It just shows how much she really has a family-oriented mind set,” the father said.

The dog involved in the attack was an 8-month-old Labrador/chow mix that belongs to one of the family’s neighbors. It is currently under voluntary observation at Bakersfield Animal Care Center, where it will be later put down, KERO reported.