Last week, a NBC news anchor was viciously attacked by a dog during a live reporting session and had to undergo surgery immediately for injuries to her face. Many were surprised that the dog had attacked the woman during the in-studio news session, but Washington state residents who have been injured in similar incidents know all too well that even a seemingly friendly dog can suddenly attack an innocent person if the dog is not properly restrained by its owner.

According to reports, the 85-pound mastiff was not on a leash when the dog attack occurred and the pet's owner has been cited for the incident. The news station where the attack occurred has also been prompted to review it policies about bringing pets into the station's studio.

The attack occurred Feb. 8 at a NBC affiliate studio in Denver. The dog was previously rescued by a firefighter from an icy lake, and the dog and fireman were brought into the studio for a live interview about the day of the rescue. But while the anchorwoman was interviewing the fireman, she knelt on the floor to get closer to the dog that had been rescued from the lake. Suddenly, the 3-year-old dog attacked the woman and bit her in the face.

The anchorwoman was rushed to a local hospital. She had to have reconstructive surgery on her face and will not be able to return to work for several weeks while she recovers from the incident.

Suffering an attack by a dog can be a traumatizing experience for many victims. But what may be even more emotionally painful for the news anchor, besides suffering injuries to her face, is that some animal experts have now shifted blame on the news anchor for provoking the dog. One canine behavior specialist said that the reporter should not have gotten so close to the dog's face because the dog was not familiar with the woman.

Fortunately, dog-bite victims in Washington are protected under specific laws that hold dog owners accountable for injuries caused by their pets when the animals are not properly restrained. A pet owner may try to convince a victim that the attack was an accident or misunderstanding, but in Washington, pet owners are also responsible for preventing these types of incidents from happening.

Source: Yahoo! News, "Rescued dog bites NBC anchor in the face during feel-good segment gone wrong," Dylan Stableford, Feb. 9, 2012