'Hero Dog' award given to courageous cat who saved owner from canine attack

Tara, a seven-year-old adopted cat, has become the first feline to win a Los Angeles animal shelter's Hero Dog award.

She was awarded the honour after fighting off a dog that attacked her six-year-old owner Jeremy Triantafilo as he rode his bicycle in the driveway of his Bakersfield home in May last year.

Tara jumped on Scrappy, a Labrador-Chow mix who lived next door, grabbing his leg and shaking it before chasing him away.

Jeremy needed eight stitches and described Tara as his "hero". 

The incident was caught on home CCTV and went viral, attracting more than 24 million YouTube views, and making Tara an international pet celebrity.