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What to do if Your Dog is Stolen or Worse Held For Ransom

“Dognapping,” like in the case of Lady Gaga’s dogs, is more common than you may think. Here are some ways to prevent it and some steps to take to help get your dog back if they are taken.

Sara Novak
BySara Novak
Credit:Lenar Nigmatullin/Shutterstock

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In Feb. 2021, Lady Gaga’s dog walker, Ryan Fischer, was famously held up in a Hollywood dog robbery. It was something out of a movie. The perpetrators were after the singer’s French bulldogs — Miss Asia, Gustav and Koji — shooting Fischer in the chest while he tried to defend them. Gustav and Koji were stolen in the terrifying attack while Miss Asia ran off and was later picked up by police.

In response, Lady Gaga offered a generous reward for the safe return of her beloved pooches. “My heart is sick, and I am praying my family will be whole again with an act of kindness. I will pay $500,000 for their safe return,” she wrote on Instagram. The dogs were later returned by a woman who claimed she happened upon them but was later charged as an accessory to the crime.

Read more: Do Pets Have a Positive ...

  • Sara Novak

    Sara Novak

    Sara Novak is a science journalist and contributing writer for Discover Magazine, who covers new scientific research on the climate, mental health, and paleontology.

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