Lady Gaga‘s dog walker Ryan Fischer is recovering from a gunshot wound, but he’s thankful to be alive and also for the return of the pop star’s two dogs.
Fischer was walking Gaga’s three dogs — Gustav, Koji, and Asia — in Los Angeles when he was attacked, shot, and Gustav and Koji were stolen while Asia got away. Thankfully, Gustav and Koji were returned but the assailants are still at large.
In two related Instagram posts shared on Monday (Mar. 01, 2021), Fischer spoke about the horrific shooting and dognapping, and what’s going to come next for him.
Read Ryan Fischer’s full statement below:
4 days ago, while a car sped away and blood poured from my gun shot wound, an angel trotted over and laid next to me. My panicked screams calmed as I looked at her, even though it registered that the blood pooling around her tiny body was my own. I cradled Asia as best I could, thanked her for all the incredible adventures we’d been on together, apologized that I couldn’t defend her brothers, and then resolved that I would still try to save them… and myself.
Hopeful that my calm(ish) and forceful pleas for the urgency of my care as well as the focused descriptions of the dogs would be enough to help me and get enough police and media attention to find the boys, I looked backed at my guardian angel. I smiled at her shaking form, thankful that at least she would be okay.
From that point, right as the neighbors poured from their homes and restaurant to us on the sidewalk, life has taken a very sudden and unexpected turn.
I am still in recovery from a very close call with death and have kept myself (for the most part, I mean I am human) from the growing media story. I will write and say more later, but the gratitude for all the love I feel from around this planet is immense and intense. I felt your healing support! Thank you. I am humbled and grateful that attention and focus from the police were enough to get Koji and Gustav back to safety, and I know they are committed to bringing these criminals and attempted murderers to justice. I am so appreciative of everything you continue to do.
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To all my friends and family who have cried with me and maybe even laughed at one or two of my morbid jokes by my side or over a screen: I love you. Thank you for keeping me grounded now more than ever. And my mom and brother flew out here to be with me…. happy birthday Sean!!!! I love you both with all my heart. All the dog videos and photos from my clients to keep my spirits up worked miracles. Seeing their faces light up when you said my name motivates me to keep pushing so I can play with them and see you again soon. I love you all! First responders and health care workers: you literally saved my life and helped me take newborn walks, I can’t thank you enough. And to Elisha, my family at Haüs and @ladygaga: your babies are back and the family is whole… we did it! You have shown so much support throughout this whole crisis to both me and my family. But your support as a friend, despite your own traumatic loss from your kids, was unwavering. I love you and thank you.
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And now? A lot of healing still needs to happen, but I look forward to the future and the moment when I get bombarded with kisses and licks (and maybe even an excitement pee?) from Asia, Koji, and Gustav.
On Saturday, the LAPD confirmed that a woman brought the dogs to its Olympic Community Police station around 6 p.m. Because the singer is currently in Rome, her representatives joined detectives at the station and confirmed that the woman did indeed have the two dogs with her.
Capt. Jonathan Tippet, commanding officer of the department’s elite Robbery-Homicide Division noted that the woman, whose identity is being kept a secret as the investigation into the crime continues, does not appear to be involved in the crime or associated with the criminals in any way.
“The woman found the dogs and reached out to Lady Gaga’s staff to return them. The woman’s identity and the location the dogs were found will remain confidential due to the active criminal investigation and for her safety,” a post on the LAPD’s Facebook page reads.
Gaga previously offered a $500,000 reward for the safe return of her dogs. Police are still investigating the crime.
