An English bulldog named Leo was just being loyal when he bit a Brooklyn man who was choking his female owner, a judge ruled Tuesday.
“Dogs are universally recognized as a man’s (in this case, a woman’s) best friend,” wrote Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Sylvia Ash in her decision to toss out the man’s personal-injury lawsuit.
“Dogs are known to be very protective of their owners and often come to their defense when they believe that their owners are about to be, or are threatened by others,” Ash said.
The case pitted Lawrence Ciliotta, 72, against Dyker Heights neighbor Nicole Ranieri (inset with Leo), 42.
Ranieri and her pooch were on the sidewalk in front of Ciliotta’s house in 2011 when he screamed at her to get her “f–king dog” off his property — and then sprayed her with his garden hose, Ranieri said.
“I walked away, but I’m not the kind of person that could just leave it,” she told The Post.
“I picked up poop, and I came back. He turned around, and I hit him with it in his chest.”
Ciliotta then put his hands around Ranieri’s throat — and Leo leaped into action, sinking his teeth into the man’s arm, court papers state.
“He was just protecting me!” Ranieri said. “Leo never bit anyone but this man. The guy ran to his house screaming, ‘The dog bit me! The dog bit me!’ ” she said.
In court papers, Ciliotta admitted he “may have gotten [Ranieri] wet while he was watering his grass” and said he did touch her but doesn’t remember choking her.
Ciliotta declined to comment Tuesday.
Ranieri said his claims of permanent injury to his arm are bogus because he bikes past her house and throws poop onto her door.