The Lady Gaga dog theft is dominating headlines around the world today after two men shot the Oscar and Grammy-winning singer’s dog walker and stole her two French bulldogs during a Wednesday night robbery.
A staunch animal rights advocate and proud pet parent to a trio of French Bulldogs, Lady Gaga is offering a substantial $500,000 reward to anyone who finds and safely returns 6-year-old Koji and 5-year-old Gustav. Gaga’s third bulldog, 7-year-old Miss Asia, escaped her captors unharmed and was later picked up by police and returned to the singer's home.
The three French bulldogs are no strangers to the spotlight, appearing frequently on Gaga’s Instagram page. While the singer is currently in Italy filming her new movie Gucci, her father Joe Germanotta spoke to the New York Post on her behalf, stating that the family is devastated. “We’re just sick over it, it’s really horrible,” he said, adding “It’s like someone took one of your kids.”
Gaga’s long-time dog walker Ryan Fischer was shot in the chest before robbers fled the scene with Koji and Gustav. Fisher remains in hospital where his condition is unclear. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is working with the FBI to investigate whether the dognapping is random or politically motivated after Gaga sang at President Joe Biden’s inauguration last month.
Brandi Hunter, a spokeswoman for the American Kennel Club says French bulldogs, also known as Frenchies, are often the target of thieves because they are expensive, difficult to breed, and can be sold illegally for thousands of dollars.
Dog thefts are on the rise so if you are a pet parent there are some simple steps you can take to keep your pup safe from dog snatchers, including securing your garden and not leaving your dog outside when you go into a shop. Hunter also advises dog owners to avoid posting photos of their dogs on social media, particularly any images that give away clues as to where an owner may live.
As for Lady Gaga, Germanotta who has spoken to his daughter several times since the dognapping, says he’s offering support where he can. “I’ve told her just try to be strong and remember that they’re together, they’re comforting each other.”
