Lady Gaga’s dogwalker says ‘no one deserves blame’ after humbly asking for donations
Lady Gaga and her dog walker Ryan Fischer (R). (Getty Images/Screen capture via Instagram/@saintrocque)
Lady Gaga’s embattled dogwalker has said “no one deserves any blame” after he sparked concern with his GoFundMe to raise money for a van.
Ryan Fischer was ambushed and gunned down while walking the “Stupid Love” hitmaker’s three french bulldogs near his West Hollywood apartment in February.
As much as his attackers have since been apprehended, the trauma of that day continues to haunt him – so much so that he packed up for a six-month-long tour of the US to “heal his emotional and mental health”.
But Fischer encountered a road bump when his rented motorhome broke down, leaving him stranded and needing $40,000 for the repairs.
Amid concerns from followers, Fischer clarified that “no one deserves any blame” for the situation he is in.
“I am grateful for all the ways I have been provided for in my recovery,” he wrote in his latest Instagram post.
“I have nothing but gratitude in my heart for the care I received and the way I was supported. No one deserves any blame.
“Taking this time for myself is my choice and the journey I want to take is also my choice. I am giving myself space to recover.
“The way I breakdown and cry any time I perceive a dog is in danger, a car speeds by or a child screams… I’m still not in any shape to do a job I once was quite good at.
“Just getting through each day is difficult. It’s hard to explain what trauma does to a person, and I wish I could flip a switch and go back to the life I once knew and be with dogs I love… But I can’t.”
Lady Gaga’s dogwalker is ‘beyond humbled’ people are helping him heal
Fischer was left fighting for his life after being shot, suffering from a collapsed lung. He was discharged from hospital in March and Lady Gaga’s stolen pups were recovered by the authorities.
Months on since the incident, and Fischer revealed on Tuesday (17 August) that he had taken to the road for a cross-country tour of the States to visit “retreat centres, trauma programs, queer healers, creatives and spiritual leaders”.
But his trip – and his healing – was blunted when “Trudy, a quasi-reliable 1991 Ford Falcon rental that drove like a boat in a high wind”, broke down.
He’s now rallying to raise the cash needed to buy a replacement vehicle and cover other travel and living costs. At the time of writing, more than $27,800 has been donated to his GoFundMe.
To those concerned about his finances, Fischer told them to ease up. His road trip is “unconventional”, he said, and is as “terrifying” as it is joyful – and he hopes it might give others experiencing similar traumas a roadmap to recovery.
“I am going on this journey because I need to do the work to heal – and it is hard work,” he added.
“I am on a mission, and donations or support of any kind are welcomed because I absolutely am in need of them, but no one needs to be blamed for my circumstances, and I also don’t see how victim-blaming is productive (some people can be really mean… I mean, honestly!).
“I love you, and thank you for all the support you have already shown and given me throughout this process,” he said. “I am beyond humbled.”
