Ginger Wolfe said ever since her 9-year-old golden retriever Chelsea was a puppy, she has always been a big softie.

“There’s not a mean bone in her body,” Wolfe said. “She’s just a sweetheart.”

But as Wolfe found out over the weekend, nobody messes with Chelsea’s family.

The 85-pound dog showed her mettle when she took on an angry mama moose that had charged at Wolfe’s boyfriend and his family — including two young children — while they were camping between Nederland and Ward.

Wolfe, of Louisville, and her boyfriend, Jeremiah McLaughlin, of Boulder, were camping near Ruby Gulch. McLaughlin and his mother, his sister and her two kids — ages 4 and 2 — decided to go hiking Saturday along with Chelsea.

The group was 50 yards away from their campsite with McLaughlin in the lead when he suddenly found himself face to face with a cow moose and her two calves. A hunter, McLaughlin soon realized that with two calves in tow, the group was in trouble.

“I’ve seen plenty of moose, and I knew it was going to be a bad situation,” he said. “She immediately lowered her head and came right after me.”

McLaughlin was able to run behind a tree as the moose charged at him, but the moose then began moving toward the rest of his family. That’s when Chelsea sprang into action and confronted the moose.

“The dog stayed between my mom, my little sister and the kids,” McLaughlin said. “That dog didn’t hesitate one bit. She didn’t act like she was a day over 2 or 3. As soon as she saw that moose go after us, she went right after it and didn’t back down.”

While Chelsea confronted the moose, the rest of McLaughlin’s family was able to get to shelter. But the dog was no match for the moose, which began kicking and headbutting Chelsea.

“The moose tried to crush her, and lowered her head down onto her, and those two went at it for 15 or 30 seconds,” McLaughlin said. “I thought for sure the moose was going to kill that dog.”

McLaughlin had been carrying a stick he was planning to use as a fire poker back at the campsite, so after seeing Chelsea in trouble, he hit the moose over the head with the branch, breaking the branch over it. At that point, the moose ran off with her two calves.

Chelsea was rushed to a veterinarian, with Wolfe fearing the worst. But after a brief stay at the vet, Chelsea was found to have no broken bones and no signs of internal bleeding or head trauma. She has a swollen liver, throat and legs but is expected to make a full recovery.

“At this point, I’m just happy she is alive,” Wolfe said.

Jennifer Churchill, a spokeswoman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said moose are common in that area and can be aggressive, especially with calves.

“It’s definitely something that we see happen from time to time,” Churchill said. “While they appear very docile, if they start walking toward you they are probably attacking.”

Wolfe said considering Chelsea is typically mellow and has had reconstructive knee surgery and has arthritis, she was shocked to hear that she had taken on a grown moose.

“I was surprised, but I also know that she is very loyal,” Wolfe said. “I’m just so proud of her.”

McLaughlin said he was amazed that a dog that he had only met twice and was meeting his family for the first time would risk its life to help them.

“She had the bond and just jumped right in there, which was pretty amazing,” McLaughlin said. “We are really grateful Chelsea was there to take some attention away so my mom and sister could get the kids hidden behind the trees.”

Mitchell Byars: 303-473-1329, byarsm@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/mitchellbyars