Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Video: Hometown Hero Tara The Cat Isn't A Great Pitcher But We Still Love Her

One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.

Tara the hero cat, who saved her 4-year-old owner from a dog attack, was invited to throw the ceremonial first pitch for the Bakersfield Blaze last night.

I was wondering how they were going to get a cat to throw a pitch without CGI. It looks like the team tried to set up a baseball on some fishing line so that Tara could use her fiercely protective paws to push the ball down the wire. If it had worked, it probably would have been funny to watch from the stands. But it didn't, and so Roger Triantafilo had to kind of help Tara throw the pitch himself. (Maybe Tara needed a pep talk!)

Jeremy Triantafilo, the 4-year-old saved by their rescue cat, took a stab at pitching, too. His mom Erica Triantafilo watched on and told ABC, "We just hope this is really the memory that stays with him over the attack."

One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.

If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today