CENTRAL ISLIP - A dog that wasn't quite housebroken may have indirectly been responsible for a bomb scare at a New York courthouse.

The trouble began Friday when 19-year-old Melvin Ruffin arrived at a court complex in Central Islip following a long bus ride from his home in Bellport.

During the trip, another passenger's Chihuahua urinated on his backpack.

So, he stashed the wet bag in some bushes while he went inside to answer a disorderly conduct citation.

But then a retired police officer saw the bag and alerted security.

The bomb squad was ultimately called in. Officers used a robot to determine that the bag didn't contain anything harmful.

Ruffin tells Newsday that authorities let him off with a warning to be more careful next time about where he left his stuff.