'My Heart Is Sick': Lady Gaga Speaks On Theft Of Bulldogs

HOLLYWOOD, CA — A day after two of her French bulldogs were stolen and her dog walker, Ryan Fischer, was shot, Lady Gaga went on Instagram to speak on the incident and beg for their safe return. The superstar also called Fischer a hero for his efforts to protect Koji and Gustav, and restated her $500,000 reward for anyone who brings the dogs back.

"My beloved dogs Koji and Gustav were taken in Hollywood two nights ago," she wrote. "My heart is sick and I am praying my family will be whole again with an act of kindness. I will pay $500,000 for their safe return. Email KojiandGustav@gmail.com to contact us. Or, if you bought or found them unknowingly, the reward is the same. I continue to love you Ryan Fischer, you risked your life to fight for our family. You’re forever a hero."

Fischer remains in the hospital after being shot Wednesday night in the 1500 block of North Sierra Bonita Avenue. His family confirmed to Rolling Stone that he is expected to make a full recovery from his injuries.

At the time of the incident, Fischer was walking three of Lady Gaga's dogs when two men jumped out of a white Nissan Altima and demanded the dogs at gunpoint. After a struggle, one of the men shot Fischer, before taking two of the dogs and running away.

A third dog, Asia, ran away during the struggle and returned to Fischer as he was laying on the ground in pain. Dennis Volochkova, who lives in the neighborhood, told ABC7 he heard Fischer screaming and ran to help him.

"(I) grabbed some towels from inside, ran out, got to the guy and then he told me right away who he was, who he worked for, who's dogs they were," Volochkova said.

Volochkova took Asia, who he said was shaking and covered in blood, from Fischer as paramedics treated the wounded man.

"He was holding it so close, he didn't want to let it go, it was his responsibility, like his baby, it almost felt like I was prying it out of his hands. "

The robbery has brought increased attention to the theft of French bulldogs, which is not an infrequent occurence due to how expensive they are to breed. Sandy Briley of Francour Frenchies told Slate a stolen puppy could likely sell for $2,000, while one with American Kennel Club paperwork can sell for as much as $12,500.

Karin TarQwyn, a pet investigator, told Slate that although French bulldogs are often stolen, it's more often for a person to find a stray and decide to keep it or attempt to sell it.

"The most commonly stolen dog is a French bulldog," TarQwyn said. "But in most cases, people aren’t stealing the dog. Mostly, when a person takes what they think is a stray bulldog, they just think they’re being a good Samaritan or abiding by “finders keepers.” Sometimes, the dogs are held for resale and reward. Bulldogs are stolen—by which I mean taken off their property with intent. But they’re not stolen as often as people think."

LAPD described the first suspect was described as a black man between 20-25 years old, with blond deadlocks and wearing a black hoodie. The second suspect was also a black man, wearing dark clothing and between 20-25 years old.

Information about the dogs' whereabouts should be sent to KojiandGustav@gmail.com, or to safelatips@lapd.online.

City News Service contributed to this report.