Dog Fights Off Leopard in Dramatic Video

A dramatic showdown between a dog and a leopard was caught on camera ... and the wild footage is every pet owner's worst nightmare!

The attack went down Tuesday in the northern Indian district of Rudraprayag ... and video of the encounter shows the predator sneaking into the courtyard as the unsuspecting pooch sleeps on a table.

The leopard pounces on the passed-out pet, grabbing the dog by the neck and taking the pup to the ground ... before the dog heroically put up a life-or-death struggle against his assailant.

The two animals became locked in an epic battle ... with the dog holding his own!

Thanks to the canine's courageous defense, the leopard decided to give up -- apparently this pup was not worth the struggle!

Rather than just take the W, the dog actually started chasing the leopard off.

Eventually, the dog's owner slowly sauntered into the courtyard from a nearby door.

The footage has sparked some local concern, with some calling on their local Forest Department officials to ramp up patrols searching for leopards in the area ... according to NDTV.