August 17, 2021
Homeless and in Trauma, Lady Gaga's Dogwalker Starts 'GoFundMe' Page
Emell Adolphus READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Lady Gaga's former dog walker Ryan Fischer is a hero in dire straits. Fischer was shot in February while trying to prevent the "Poker Face" pop star's pups from being dognapped and is now asking for help, reported Entertainment Weekly.
"Nearly six months after he was shot while taking care of the Oscar-winning entertainer's pets, Ryan Fischer has launched a GoFundMe campaign with the goal of raising enough money to purchase a van," reports EW. The van is reportedly so he travel to treatments "that support the process of growing from trauma."
Fischer explained, "All that time spent reclaiming my body, I now needed to be equally devoted to strengthening my emotional and mental health," he wrote on the GoFundMe page. His goal is to raise $40,000.
Fischer also shared that he is now homeless with no savings, no job, and he is relying on the kindness of others to survive.
"This is not an easy thing to ask, but I have started to realize sharing your vulnerability with others is exactly when radical change begins to occur for everyone involved," he said.
Gaga praised Fischer's heroism in a statement after the incident, saying: "I continue to love you Ryan Fischer, you risked your life to fight for our family," she said. "You're forever a hero."
Gaga also reportedly covered his medical costs to the tune of $100,000. However, Fischer says the trauma he suffered from the shooting has left him with "long bouts of depression and doubt and self-pity." He also has gained a bit of celebrity from the experience, which has only compounded his trouble in trying to get over it.
"It's a strange thing to be known for a trauma that I'm still healing from," he said. "People want to reach out, share in my pain for a moment, and then walk away, leaving me to relive it again."
