Dog which launched attack on four-year-old boy saved by family cat is put down

The animal continued to show signs of aggressive behaviour and attacked employees at a Californian animal shelter, according to American reports

The cat sees of the dog after the attack in California

The dog which launched a ferocious attack on a four-year-old boy, only to be scared off by a feisty family cat, has been put down according to reports.

American news channel TMZ said the eight-month-old Labrador-Chow mix, named Scrappy, was euthanized at an animal shelter in Bakersfield, California.

The dog was kept at an animal shelter for 10 days but continued to display aggressive traits.

According to TMZ, Scrappy bit two staff during his stay and made repeated attacks against employees who attempted to bring him food and water.

Four-year old Jeremy Triantafilo’s life was saved when his pet cat Tara pounced on the dog as it launched its attack, which left the youngster needing four stitches.

The dramatic scene was captured on CCTV footage and quickly went viral, earning Tara heroic status.

Jeremy's parents explained that Tara followed them home from the park five years ago and has lived with them ever since, even sleeping with the youngster when he was a baby.

Last week, Tara made an appearance at the Bakersfield Blaze minor league baseball game where she was invited to ‘throw’ the first pitch.