Lady Gaga's Dog Walker Recalls 'Close Call With Death' in First Remarks After Shooting

Lady Gaga's dog walker Ryan Fischer, who was shot in the chest during the recent robbery of two of the singer's beloved dogs, released a statement on Monday recalling the harrowing incident. In his first remarks since the shooting and robbery, he said he is "still in recovery from a very close call with death" while thanking people for their support.

Fischer posted the message on the Instagram account for his dog-walking company, Valley of the Dogs.

"The gratitude for all the love I feel from around this planet is immense and intense," his statement reads. He also notes that he is "humbled and grateful that attention and focus from 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."

Koji and Gustav are the names of the two French bulldogs taken during the incident. The Los Angeles Police Department reported that the dogs were returned safely on Friday by an unnamed woman. A third dog, Asia, was not taken during the Wednesday night robbery, which left Fischer in the hospital with a gunshot wound.