Judge: Dyker Heights Bulldog & Owner Off The Hook In Biting Attack

Leo the English bulldog was just coming to his mama’s defense when he bit their neighbor, a judge has ruled.

A lawsuit charging that the dog of Nicole Ranieri, 42, sank its teeth into the arm of 72-year-old Lawrence Ciliotta, 72, causing permanent injury was tossed out on December 24, since the victim had his hands around Ranieri’s neck at the time, according to court documents.

The New York Post reports:

“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 altercation occurred in 2011 when Ranieri was walking her dog in front of Ciliotta’s Dyker Heights residence while he was watering his lawn. The court papers allege that Ciliotta screamed “Get your f-cking dog off my property” and turned his garden hose on Leo and Ranieri. In response, Ranieri tells the court she picked up her pup’s poop and flung it at her neighbor’s chest, at which point he started to choke her. Leo then jumped to Ranieri’s aid, biting Ciliotta on the arm, according to the documents.

Ciliotta acknowledges in the court papers that he may have gotten Leo wet, but denies laying a hand on Ranieri. Meanwhile, Ranieri told The Post that Ciliotta can’t possibly have sustained permanent injury from the attack, because he bikes past her home every day and throws dog poop at her door.