Tara the Courageous Cat that Protected Her Owner From Attacking Dog to Ride in Rose Parade

Tara a 7-year-old female cat looks out at the media after being presented with the 33rd Annual National Hero Dog Award by the SPCALA in Los Angeles, California on June 19, 2015. MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

The cat who heroically threw herself at a dog that was attacking her owner and then succeeded in chasing it off, is being honored this New Year’s day by getting to ride in the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.

The parade, which has been a New Year’s tradition for over a century, takes place around Jan. 1 each year and accompanies the college football tournament the Rose Bowl.