Lady Gaga’s dog walker is shot four times in the chest by man who stole two of her french bulldogs
Gaga puts up $500,000 ‘no questions asked’ reward for safe return of her French bulldogs Koji and Gustav after Hollywood dognapper shoots her dog walker four times and flee with pups
- Ryan Fischer, 30, had been walking Gaga’s beloved dogs Koji, Miss Asia and Gustav, in West Hollywood at around 10pm yesterday night when he was shot four times
- Two of Gaga’s dogs, Koji and Gustav, were stolen while her third bulldog, Miss Asia, managed to escape
- Fischer is seen on TV news footage lying bleeding on the floor and cradling Miss Asia as medics attend to him
- Officers were seen swaddling the pup in a blanket and placing her in the back of a police vehicle
- It’s currently unclear whether Gaga’s dogs were specifically targeted, but French bulldogs are in high demand and can sell for as much as $10,000 if they have pedigree lineage
- Gaga, 34, is offering a $500k reward for the safe return of Gustav and Koji ‘no questions asked’
Lady Gaga has offered a $500,000 reward for the return of two of her French bulldogs after they were stolen by a gunman who shot her dog walker four times in the chest in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.
Ryan Fischer was ambushed outside his home on West Hollywood’s Sierra Bonita Avenue as he walked Gaga’s dogs Koji, Miss Asia, and Gustav just before 10pm yesterday.
The attacker then fled with two of the dogs, Koji and Gustav, while Miss Asia managed to get away.
Police arrived to the scene to find Fischer seriously hurt, but conscious and communicative.
Video captured by KABC showed Fischer lying on the sidewalk and clinging to Miss Asia as first responders treat him.
The 30-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital and is now said to be ‘recovering well’.
It’s unclear whether the thieves knew the dogs belonged to Gaga. However, French bulldogs are in high demand and sell for anywhere between $3,000-$5,000. Those with pedigree lineage can also go for as much as $10,000.
Gaga, 34, is said to be distraught over the incident and is offering a $500,000 reward for the return of Koji and Gustav ‘no questions asked’, TMZ reported.
Ryan Fischer, 30, had been walking Gaga’s beloved dogs Koji, Miss Asia and Gustav, in West Hollywood at around 10pm yesterday night when he was shot
Fischer (above with Gaga’s dogs) had been caring for the three dogs while Gaga is away in Rome, Italy, working on a new Ridley Scott movie
Gaga’s dogs, Koji and Gustav, were stolen. Miss Asia was later recovered by police (shown above)
Gaga is pictured above with her beloved dogs Koji, Miss Asia and Gustav in a post previously shared to Instagram
Gaga’s bodyguard later picked up Miss Asia from the Hollywood LAPD Station in the hours after the shooting
Fischer had been caring for the three dogs while Gaga is away in Italy
There has been no mention of a reward for the capture of the shooter.
Fischer, who runs a company called Valley Of The Dogs, had been watching Gaga’s French bulldogs while she’s away filming a new Ridley Scott movie in Rome, Italy.
Just six days ago, Fischer had posted a video to Instagram of him singing to the trio, and tagged Miss Asia’s official Instagram page. He has previously posted images of the dogs on a number of other occasions.
In a statement to DailyMail.com, the LAPD said investigators are treating the case as an ‘assault with a deadly weapon,’ noting that the weapon used was a semi-automatic handgun.
It was initially believed there were two attackers, but LA police said on Thursday afternoon that they were hunting for a single shooter.
The gunman fled the scene northbound on Sierra Bonita Avenue in a white vehicle and remains at large, police said.
The LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division has taken over the investigation. The RHD is responsible for investigating the highest-profile cases in LA.
First responders were seen taking Miss Asia from Fischer’s arms as they rendered him aid on Wednesday night.
The pooch was then swaddled up in a blanket and taken to the LAPD’s Hollywood headquarters. One of Gaga’s bodyguards collected her from the station shortly afterwards.
It’s currently unclear whether Gaga’s dogs were specifically targeted (Pictured: Gaga poses with Miss Asia in an Instagram post
An Instagram post from 2017 shows Gaga and her three dogs as they celebrated Koji’s second birthday. ‘Happy Birthday Koji you’re 2 years old! we love you!’ Gaga wrote
Ryan Fischer was shot four times outside of his home in West Hollywood on Wednesday night as he was walking Gaga’s three dogs
Video from the scene captured by KABC showed Fischer lying on the sidewalk and clinging to Miss Asia as first responders attended to him
It was initially believed there were two attackers, but LA police said on Thursday afternoon that they were hunting for a single shooter
A police officer is seen carrying Miss Asia into the back of a patrol vehicle which Fischer is attended to by paramedics
RESCUED: Miss Asia is collected from LAPD’s Hollywood precinct by one of Gaga’s bodyguard on Wednesday night
The suspect fled the scene northbound on Sierra Bonita Avenue in a white vehicle – a BMW or possibly a Nissan – and remains at large
Lady Gaga’s representatives have not yet returned a request for comment on the shooting or theft of the star’s dogs.
Sources told TMZ that anyone in possession of the dogs can email KojiandGustav@gmail.com to organize returning the pets in return for a $500,000 ‘no questions asked’ reward.
Gaga’s father, Joe Germanotta told Fox News Thursday that he is ‘so upset right now’, confirming that Fischer is a ‘family friend’.
‘Our whole family is upset and praying Koji and Gustavo are not harmed,’ he said. ‘Shooting someone in order to steal dogs is wrong.’
Germanotta then pleaded to the public to help ‘catch these creeps’.
Tara Bruno, founder of SNORT Rescue, an organization that rescues bulldogs, pugs and Boston terriers, told People that French bulldogs are among the most stolen dog breeds because they’re very popular, are small and portable, and are expensive.
French bulldogs from reputable breeders cost between $3,000 and $5,000, she said.
According to the American Kennel Club, French bulldogs are the fourth most popular breed in the United State, behind Labradors, golden retrievers and German shepherds. However, French bulldogs are easier to steal , Bruno says, because they are much smaller.
‘The motive is resale. Thieves know they can get a couple thousand dollars for them,’ she told the outlet.
Lady Gaga seen above yesterday) is currently in Rome shooting a new movie. Her representatives have not yet spoken about the shooting of Fischer
Gaga is pictured with Koji and Asia in 2017 after touching down in LAX airport, in Los Angeles
Fischer was shot outside of a home in Sierra Bonita Avenue (seen above on Thursday, the morning after the shooting)
Gaga adopted Gustav in 2016, and celebrated the addition to her ‘family’ in an Instagram post.
‘I’m proud to announce we added a new member to the #JOANNE family,’ she wrote, adding that she was still deciding on his name. ‘I haven’t named him yet but I call him both cowpig and moopig in the meantime!’
The singer got Koji as a puppy the year prior in April 2015, and Miss Asia has been with Gaga since March 2014.
A celebrity in her own right, Miss Asia boasts a social media following of more than 220,000. She has previously appeared in several magazines, featured in several campaigns and in 2015, was the inspiration between Lady Gaga’s pet product line.
Gaga’s manager, Bobby Campbell, told Billboard at the time: ‘This is not just about crazy outfits for dogs. It’s about giving pet parents and pet owners a fun and creative way for protecting their pets, as well as fun clothes to display on Instagram (because Gaga loves doing that).’
To tease the line, Gaga uploaded a series of fashion-style photo shoots of Miss Asia reading Vogue, driving a Rolls Royce in a tux and even enjoying an outdoor picnic of champagne and dog biscuits.
The dogs have appeared frequently on Gaga’s social media pages in the years since.
In 2018, the Shallows singer dressed the trio up as Chia pets, the terracotta figurines that found popularity in the 1980s.
The three also previously accompanied Gaga on the red carpet for the American Music Awards in November 2017.
The three French pitbulls previously accompanied Gaga on the red carpet for the American Music Awards in November 2017
In a statement to DailyMail.com, the LAPD confirmed the shooting and said two dogs were stolen, but said it was too early to know if the incident ‘was a robbery’
Hours before the shooting unfolded in West Hollywood, Gaga was pictured strutting through the streets of Rome.
She is currently filming in the Italian city for Ridley Scott’s new movie Gucci, in which she stars Maurizio Gucci’s ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani.
Debuting new brunette locks, the Bad Romance hitmaker was spotted walking into her hotel, glad in a glamorous animal print kaftan and a black studded face mask.
Earlier this month, Gaga revealed that a ‘very important member’ of her family was hospitalized for two months with COVID-19 after falling ‘very, very ill’ with the virus.
The 11-time Grammy winner admitted it was difficult for her to visit them in the ICU because she had to be by herself.
When asked what has been giving her hope over the past year, she said: ‘I got to be honest. I’m about to cry on the other end of this call with you because it’s really – it’s doctors, it’s nurses, it’s essential workers.
‘I haven’t spoken to this person about speaking about this publicly, but I will tell you that a very important member of my family was very, very ill recently and in the hospital for almost two months.
‘I was in the ICU by myself many times because you can’t go in with more than one person, if you can go in at all. I have never seen the heroic acts of bravery that I witnessed, watching these doctors and nurses and people that were cleaning at the hospital.’
