Organized by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles (spcaLA), this year’s 33rd annual Hero Dog Award went to a cat named Tara.

Usually presented to dogs for showing their heroic deeds, the organizers decided to award the cat that went above and beyond typical cattery to save one of her humans from a terrible dog attack. 5-year-old Jeremy was playing in his Bakersfield, CA front yard when the neighbor’s dog ran out, grabbed him by the leg, and started dragging him. But Tara ran up and tackled the pooch, and the entire thing was caught on security cameras. Definitely an extraordinary act for the chillsters of the pet world who are normally only good for curling up and a bit of solitude.

Of the choice, President of spcaLA Madeline Bernstein said,”We were so impressed by Tara’s bravery and fast action that the selection committee decided that a cat this spectacular should be the National Hero Dog.”