Lady Gaga's Dog Walker Speaks Out for First Time Since Shooting, Says It Was 'Close Call With Death'

After being shot in the chest Wednesday, Ryan Fischer wrote on Instagram that he's thankful for the dogs' return and that he's been able to recover.

March 1, 2021

Lady Gaga’s dog walker has broken his silence about being shot last Wednesday during the kidnapping of her two dogs.

Ryan Fischer was walking three of Gaga’s dogs in Hollywood last week when he was shot in the chest before theives then drove off with two of Gaga’s French bulldogs in a white sedan, leaving one dog behind. The dogs were recovered unharmed two days later in Los Angeles, after Gaga offered a $500,000 reward, no questions asked.

Fischer took to Instagram Monday, five days after the shooting, to share that he’s still recovering “from a very close call with death.” He wrote that Gaga’s dog, Asia, who trotted up next to him during the traumatic experience, was an “angel.” Video obtained by TMZ shows Asia supporting the dog walker after the shooting, which happened around 9:40 p.m. on Sierra Bonita Avenue.

“My panicked screams calmed as I looked at her, even though it registered that the blood pooling around her tiny body was my own,” Fischer wrote. “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.”

In his two Instagram posts showing him in a hospital bed after the shooting, Fischer shared that he’s thankful for the support he’s receieved and trying to avoid any media about the story. To Gaga, he wrote that “our babies are back and the family is whole.”

“We did it,” Fischer shared. “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.”

Fischer intends to share more about the shooting “later,” but added that he was grateful the dogs returned home safely.

“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,” Fischer wrote. “I am so appreciative of everything you continue to do.”

Fischer’s family told TMZ that doctors expect him to make “a full recovery.”