Lady Gaga's Dog Walker Ryan Fischer Asks Followers for Donations After Van Dies During Mental Health Road Trip
In February 2021, Ryan Fischer was shot while walking the singer’s three dogs.
Ryan Fischer, Lady Gaga’s dog walker, has taken an unusual road to heal the physical and emotional wounds left from the shooting he was recently involved in.
In February 2021, Ryan was shot while walking the singer’s three dogs. Two of them were stolen and later returned, and Lady Gaga called Fischer “forever a hero.”
Part of Fischer’s lung had to be removed because of the bullet, and the toll on his mental health has left him with what he calls “long bouts of depression.”
Now the former dog walker is crowdfunding to continue riding across the country, visiting retreat centers, trauma programs, and spiritual leaders for what he calls an “unconventional journey of healing.”
Ryan set out on his journey two months ago in a 1991 Ford Falcon van he named Trudy. But now Trudy no longer works, and without an apartment and dwindling savings, Ryan said he is “humbly” asking for donations from those who have followed his journey.
Ryan calls this foray into van life a “terrifying joy” but says he continues to share it because other people who have suffered traumas may benefit from the tools he’s learned along the way.
Related Stories
Trending on Inside Edition

Oregon Woman Reports Having Acid Thrown at Her 3 Times Since March: Police
Crime
4 Federally Charged in San Antonio Migrant Smuggling Case as Death Toll Rises to 53
Crime
Amazon and Some Drug Stores Ration Emergency Contraceptives, Including Plan B, After Seeing Increased Demand
Health
How to Stay Safe This July 4th Amid Steep Rise in Injuries Caused by Fireworks
Investigative
83-Year-Old Believed to Be Oldest Woman to Complete a 'Tough Mudder' Race
Inspirational