Bulldog cleared by judge after protecting owner

A Brooklyn judge officially ruled that dogs are more than just pets.

Nicole Ranieri was walking her English bulldog Leo when a man cursed and yelled at them to get off his property. Then, he sprayed her with his garden hose. Nicole left, but admitted to the New York Post that she's "not the kind of person that could just leave it," so she returned with some of her dog's poop and threw it at the man.

As a result, he allegedly attacked Nicole and began choking her. Leo the dog jumped into action and bit her attacker. The man said he doesn't remember choking Nicole, but admitted to approaching and touching her.

The judge ruled in favor of the dog, noting that dogs "are universally recognized as a man's (in this case a woman's) best friend." She also said Leo reacted to the man's "physical proximity and manner towards" his owner.

This isn't the first time we have seen dogs go to great lengths to keep their owners out of harms way.

Last year, a pit bull named Lilly risked her life to pull her unconscious owner from the path of an oncoming train. She suffered serious injuries, but fortunately Lilly and her owner survived.

Her owner's son told WFXT, "We've always known she was a special dog."

Speaking of special dogs, have you heard about Pupcake? The pit bull stuck by 7-year-old owner Abcde during a trying time at the mall, and is a hero each and every day:

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