Questions Swirl as Aaron Gordon Steps Away From Nuggets After "Family Dog" Bites Face and Hand

Denver Nuggets star Aaron Gordon is taking time away from the team after suffering "lacerations to his face and hand from a dog bite," according to Nuggets officials.

"Right now it’s open-ended," said Nuggets Head Coach Michael Malone to reporters regarding Gordon's availability (via DNVR's Harrison Wind). "We need him to heal inside and out. Going through something like that is not something you come back from easily. That’s something where you have to heal from the physical, but you also have to heal from the mental and what you just went through.”

Little is known about the dog attack, other than it reportedly occurred on Christmas after the Nuggets' 120-114 win over the Golden State Warriors. As a result, people are starting to ask questions and assuming the worst, citing Malone's comments as evidence of something bigger going on.

"Sounds like: 1. It was his own dog, and 2. The dog was probably shot after the fact," wrote an X (formerly Twitter) user in response to a quote from Malone calling Gordon's ordeal a "very traumatic experience."

"Obviously a significant emotional toll as I know he must love his dog," another user said. "Hoping for the best for him."

A third wrote, "What a difficult thing to go through, especially if it was a dog he loved like family."

In a December 27 statement, the Nuggets explained that Gordon was "in good condition and will remain away from the team while he recovers" from his injuries. Additional updates would be provided "as necessary," the team added.

“I texted with him a little bit,” Malone said. “He’s hanging in there. Obviously, a very traumatic experience, and the most important thing I told him is you take as much time as you need.”

The Nuggets declined to respond when asked for details about the December 25 incident. It's unclear whether it was Gordon's own dog that attacked him or another person's. In an X reply, DNVR's Wind told a user that he believed "it was someone else's [dog] but one he's been around before." The Associated Press was told by a person with knowledge of the situation that it was a "family dog" that bit Gordon, but no other details were provided. 

Attacked by the family dog? Probably has to be put down...

— John C. Varner III (@LilHulkQ) December 28, 2023

In Colorado, medical professionals are legally required to report all domestic animal bites to state and county health departments within twelve hours, according to health officials. Josh Rolf, lieutenant for Denver Animal Protection, tells Westword that the Gordon incident wasn't reported in the Mile High City, so it likely didn't happen there — or for some reason wasn't reported.

"Medical professionals are required by law to report dog bites to the health department," Rolf says. "So his doctor or whoever treated him is legally required to report it; [Gordon] is not. And neither is the dog owner, if it's someone else's dog. Any person with a medical license, however, is required to report dog bites by law."

Emily Williams, director of communications and marketing for Denver's Department of Public Health & Environment, tells Westword: "DDPHE and Denver Animal Protection have not received notification of this incident. Colorado law requires that medical personnel report all animal bites to the county health department, so it’s unlikely this happened in Denver."

On December 27, Westword reached out to multiple animal protection agencies in the metro area — including Cherry Hills Village and Arapahoe County — to see if reports had been filed; none were found. CDPHE officials refuse to say whether a report had been filed at the state level, but note that if one had been, the health department would be unable to share information "about any specific dog bite incidents," citing patient confidentiality rules.

"Public health typically works with the animal protection/animal control agency in the jurisdiction where the bite occurred to determine if there is a risk of rabies transmission," said CDPHE Communications Director AnneMarie Harper in an statement emailed December 28. "In most dog bite situations, the dog is placed on a ten-day quarantine/observation period to ensure the dog does not develop symptoms consistent with rabies. If the dog is healthy after ten days, there is no rabies risk."

Asked if she could at least confirm the existence of a report related to the Gordon incident, Harper responds: "The only time that would typically be reported to us is if there were concern about rabies." She didn't respond when asked if this meant a report had not been filed.

Arapahoe County Animal Services Field Supervisor Alyssa Haden tells Westword that domestic dog bites are typically reported regardless of whether rabies is involved. "If he got stitches, [a medical professional] was definitely involved and a bite report was issued," she says. "Any hospital, any medical treatment agency, has to report it at least to the state. The thing about the dog bite report, it can get lost in the system and take some time to get to the correct agency. I would assume this is definitely going to get reported, because it's something we would definitely be getting involved in."

Photos posted on social media by Gordon's sister, Elise Gordon, and others who were with him over the holiday weekend show at least two dogs that he might have spent Christmas with — one that appears to be his own dog, which he's posted photos of on Instagram before, and another belonging to someone else. Gordon's dog appears to be a Rottweiler, while the other appears to be a smaller, poodle-like breed. "Must be the dog that bit his ass up," an IG user commented under one picture, showing Gordon's larger pup in the forefront.

"That dog was already eyeing him," an X user said in a reply to a post featuring the same pic, which also shows the smaller dog in the background.

"Those poodles are vicious," another person replied, prompting a user to call them a "prick."

For some people, the Gordon incident is one they feel should be treated with respect and sensitivity. But many have started asking questions related to the circumstances and aftermath.

Look, we all know Aaron Gordon got bit in the face and hand by a dog and will remain away from the team.

Here's what we wanna know:

1. Who's dog was it: his, a friend's, or a stranger?

2. Was it a pit, a rotty, a German, a poodle, who dun it?

3. Is he going to need therapy?

— Solace Zeta (@solace_zeta) December 28, 2023

So all Dog bites in Colorado must be reported within 12 hours

Aaron Gordon suffered the dog bite on 12/25 but the Nuggets released the injury report on 12/27? Why the two day delay when it was reported on 12/26?

They did just return to practice today but I’m monitoring this 🤔 pic.twitter.com/zyKLOoXp2T

— Fanimal (@Fanimal_) December 27, 2023

Nuggets players and Malone told reporters that the team learned of the dog-biting incident at their morning practice on December 27 — more than 24 hours after the attack. Gordon has no timetable yet on a return.

"We want him back," Malone said. "We know we’re better off with him. But I want to support Aaron Gordon and make sure when he comes back, he’s ready to come back and play at the level that we know he’s capable of."

The Nuggets play the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Thursday night, December 28, followed by two more games in Denver against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Charlotte Hornets on December 29 and January 1, respectively. Gordon's teammates say they will be doing whatever they can to support him during his time away.

"He just uplifts everybody that comes in when he’s around them," Kentavious Caldwell-Pope told reporters. “We’ve got to do the same for him.”