Lady Gaga’s dogs were stolen and her dog walker shot, according to reports. (Instagram)
Lady Gaga is to be reunited with her beloved dogs after Los Angeles, California, authorities recovered the pups unharmed Friday evening (26 February).
As the singer’s dog walker, Ryan Fischer, strolled along Sierra Bonita Avenue in Hollywood, two people got out of a white car and demanded he handed Gaga’s three French bulldogs over.
Wielding what police said was a semiautomatic handgun, the individuals snatched two dogs, Koji and Gustav, after a struggle and shot Fischer in the chest – he was in a serious but stable condition Friday afternoon.
With the musician, who sang at Joe Biden’s inauguration, offering sizeable reward money, national intelligence officials even considered whether the attack was “politically motivated“.
While questions remain, for now, a sense of relief for Gaga as the Los Angeles Police Department announced that the dogs had been dropped off at a police station at around 6pm.
Representatives of the hitmaker collected the pair, the LAPD confirmed in a Twitter thread.
Both of Lady Gaga’s dogs have been turned in to a local police station, and they have been safely reunited with Lady Gaga representatives. https://t.co/c5Z5QMa944
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) February 27, 2021
The civilian who returned the dogs, as well as the location where they were found, is to remain “confidential”, the force said, “due to active criminal investigation”.
“The victim is listed in stable condition after the shooting, and his injuries were described as being non-life-threatening,” they added in the statement.
“LAPD Robbery Homicide Detectives will continue to investigate to ensure the persons responsible are ultimately arrested and brought before justice.”
According to the Associated Press, captain Jonathan Tippett said that the woman who took the dogs to the station was “uninvolved and unassociated” with the attack.
Tippett, the commanding officer of the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division, added: “I can confirm that the dogs have been located and are safe.”
Lady Gaga thanks ‘hero’ injured dog walker as dogs are safely returned
Hours before Koji and Gustav were returned, Gaga, 34, offered a $500,000 reward for information about the dogs’ whereabouts.
She also sought to praise Fischer, a family friend who lives in the Hollywood neighbourhood, for his bravery during the imperilling incident.
“I continue to love you, Ryan Fischer, you risked your life to fight for our family,” she said in an Instagram post. “You’re forever a hero.”
Medical staffers found Fischer, 30, cradling the third dog, Miss Asia, in his arms as they tended to his wounds. The suspects had sped off in a white Nissan Altima, police said, and were both described as around 20-25 years of age wearing dark clothing.