A family cat came to the rescue of a four-year-old boy in California, who had been pulled from his bike in an attack by his neighbour's dog.
Video footage shows Jeremy Triantafilo playing outside his Bakerfield home when the dog lunges at his leg, grabs it with his jaws and drags the boy off off his bike.
Fortunately, family cat Tara reacts quickly, sweeping in to come to the boy’s rescue.
The pet, who has been with the family for six years, hurls itself onto the dog and chases it down the driveway to bring Jeremy to safety.
Mother Erica was outside watering her garden at the time of the incident and can be seen running to help her son.
Jeremy sustained bite wounds in the attack, causing him to require ten stitches in his leg. However, his father Roger wrote in posting the video: "Thankfully it wasn’t worse... my son is fine."
Bakerfield police say the neighbours surrendered their eight-month-old Labrador-Chow mix following the attack. He will ultimately be euthanised.
The dog’s owners were not identified but are reported to have said their dog did not like children or bicycles.
