Lady Gaga's Dog Walker Opens Up About Near-Fatal Shooting

Photo: Getty Images

Ryan Fischer is beginning to open up about the February events that led to him getting shot and Lady Gaga's dogs being kidnapped. After recovering from surgery and the dogs being returned to their rightful owner, the former dog walker sat down with Gayle King for CBS Mornings to recall the events and what was going through his mind as they occurred.

"It was a severe one shot," Fischer told King. "And when I went back, because I had to go back to the hospital a second time to have the surgery because my lung had collapsed, the people in the ER who I'd seen that night told me that they didn't think I was going to survive that night. And I had felt that because I was very awake while they were operating on me that night, but just to hear them say it, it makes it more real."

Fischer had needed the top third then bottom portion of his lung removed, with Gaga allowing him and his family to stay at her house while he recovered. After he had healed, Fischer tried walking the dogs again, but the former dog walker felt as though he was not mentally ready to do so and went off on a cross-country road trip to try and recover.

"She's been a friend for me," Fischer said of Gaga's help. "After I was attacked, my family was flown out, and I had trauma therapists flown to me."

The dogs had been returned to Gaga after she offered a reward and "no questions asked" for their return. Jennifer McBride, whose boyfriend had been one of the alleged dognappers, brought back Gaga's dogs with claims she had found them tied to a pole, then inquired about the $500,000 reward.

Fischer had been Gaga's dog walker for the past six years prior to the event. When remembering the incident, Fischer said, "I had a feeling that when they came up, pulled the gun on me, I was going to end up getting shot. Because in my mind there was no way that I wasn't going to fight for these dogs."

French bulldogs are a popular breed to be stolen, as they are worth thousands, and their small size makes them easy to grab. Those allegedly involved in the crimes were eventually arrested for attempted murder and robbery, and the woman who returned the dogs never received the award. The dognappers had allegedly been searching the streets for french bulldogs to steal before spotting Fischer.


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