Lady Gaga’s dog walker has had part of his lung removed as a result of being shot when the singer’s beloved French bulldogs were stolen.
Ryan Fischer was walking three of the pop star’s pets near Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood last month when two men jumped out of a car and tried to steal the animals.
In the ensuing struggle Ryan was confronted by a man carrying a semi-automatic handgun and shot once before two of the dogs, Koji and Gutave, were taken.
They were later returned unharmed after Gaga offered a 500,000 dollar (£363,000) reward. A third bulldog, named Miss Asia, ran away and was later recovered by police.
Ryan has described how he had been making a “remarkably fast” recovery when his lung collapsed and he had to have surgery.
Sharing an update on social media, Ryan revealed he has left hospital after undergoing surgery.
He said he hoped “life would be back to normal soon enough”.
He wrote on Instagram: “It became quite clear that my lung was not healing, and the bullet wound had scarred my tissue like a burn.
“It could take months, if ever, for the hole to seal. Lunches of grilled cheese and tomato soup and art walks blurred into one until the day came to remove portions of my lung.”
Ryan said he has accepted his recovery “had become anything but a straight line”.
He added: “Now that I’m finding my way in the outside world where triggers are real and working through trauma is WAY more than dealing with one unfortunate moment in life, I look back at my exit from the hospital and smile that I continue to approach each day the same way.”
Ryan’s shooting was caught on video from a doorbell camera of a nearby home. He screamed “Oh my God! I’ve been shot!” and “I’m bleeding out from my chest!” after being shot.
Koji and Gustav, the dogs that were taken, were returned unharmed when a woman showed up at a Los Angeles police station with them.
Lady Gaga was in Italy filming a movie when the incident happened.
She called the dog walker a “hero”. TMZ reported police told the singer not to pay out the reward until their investigation cleared the woman of involvement.
Police have yet to identify any suspects. A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department told the PA news agency the investigation was ongoing.