Things got wildly out of hand — or rather, all hell broke moose — in Montana’s Big Sky Country last week.
A Montana dog owner is being praised for her fast instincts after she used a can of bear spray to protect her three beloved dogs from a frightening moose encounter right in her own backyard.
Shelly Thorburn had only just let her pets outside when she suddenly found herself facing a massive mother moose and her calf near the back porch, a heart-pounding moment recorded by her Ring camera on Aug. 27.
“I looked around the side of the house and it was mama moose coming, running as fast as she could with her ears pinned back,” Thorburn told CNN, describing the terrifying rush toward her home.
The agitated animal charged into Thorburn’s yard, letting out deep grunting sounds that were enough to send two of her dogs scrambling away from the danger.
But amid the confusion, Thorburn’s cherished 14-year-old dog, Annie, remained outside and appeared unaware that the protective moose was closing in.
“She cannot hear, she’s deaf and she’s visually impaired,” Thorburn explained of her elderly dog.
As the tense backyard confrontation unfolded, Thorburn grew increasingly alarmed when Annie moved farther from her, leaving the senior pup especially vulnerable during the chaos.
“So she did not know anything that was going on.”
During the frantic encounter, Thorburn is seen yelling at the two wild animals while sprinting around her outdoor area in pure panic to save her beloved pets — and herself.
“I was fearful for sure, you know, because she was so big and I’ve never had a big animal like that run after me,” Thorburn said.
Thorburn ran inside and grabbed a can of bear spray to try and fend off the mama and her calf.
“I didn’t realize I was doing all that but I just wanted them all in the house — everybody,” she told the outlet.
Luckily, the bear spray did the trick and all three of Thorburn’s dogs were unharmed.
The suburban backyard ambush took place less than an hour away from Yellowstone National Park.
Due to Blue Sky’s location within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, moose are known to roam around the southern Montana community and are not naturally afraid of humans.
“Humans and moose share the same neighborhoods,” according to Visit Big Sky.
“Moose safety needs to be a top priority in the event that you encounter a moose while you’re out and about.”
