Pop artist Lady Gaga’s dogs were stolen after her dog walker, Ryan Fischer, was shot and injured on the evening of Feb. 24, 2021. Not long after finding out, Gaga posted on Instagram, offering a reward of $500,000 for the return of her two dogs, Gustav and Koji. While she mentions Fischer’s bravery, she does not offer a reward for any information leading to the arrest of the people who harmed him. Stressing “no questions asked,” she simply offered a reward for Gustav and Koji, who were found two days later unharmed, tied to a pole and turned in by a good samaritan to the Los Angeles Police Department. 

Understandably, Gaga was worried for her two dogs. However, many people were wondering why there was less emphasis on finding Fischer’s assailant. While it seems Gaga did not express significant care for Fischer, this is not true. Gaga gave support for both finding her dogs and the recovery of Fischer, albeit from a distance since she was filming in Italy.

Any dog owner knows the importance of their furry friend to their family, and it is heartbreaking to endure losing them. When a dog goes missing, many see lost dog signs and sometimes rewards offered for the dog’s safe return. While many rewards posted are smaller than Lady Gaga’s $500,000, the amount is irrelevant. It merely correlates with how much an owner can contribute to the reward. 

Dog owners will do whatever they can to encourage the safe return of their companion — including offering a large sum of money if they’re able — as a sign of thankfulness for the person’s time and effort in returning the lost dog. For this reason, Gaga is justified in offering a large reward for her two dogs. In fact, she may have believed that offering this sum would lead to catching the perpetrators, hopefully assisting the LAPD with their investigation.

Fischer has since recovered from his injuries. Despite the media’s focus, Gaga did not  disregard Fischer’s bravery. She expressed her gratitude for his sacrifice. Notably, Gaga paid for Fischer’s hospital stay which amounted to $97,500. Gaga, away filming a movie in Italy at the time of the incident, was only able to help monetarily. 

We should not judge how Gaga decided to help, but rather, we should focus on the fact that she did help, especially since she was away at the time. Even if she was in California, COVID-19 restrictions would have likely restricted her from visiting Fischer in the hospital during his recovery. 

The conversation about whether or not Gaga should have offered such a large reward for finding Fischer’s attackers is misdirected. The public does not know whether Gaga has spoken with the LAPD in regard to the investigation into the dognappers. In fact, LAPD officers may have told Gaga to refrain from offering a reward since it could hinder the investigation or that the reward for her dogs could uncover helpful information. The public is not able to properly judge this situation from the outside.

We often think of situations categorically, assuming that a celebrity’s actions were either right or wrong. By doing this, we are ignoring what really matters, and in this case, it was the safety of Fischer and the dogs. In a post, Fischer wrote, “While a car sped away and blood poured from my gunshot wound, an angel trotted over and laid next to me.” That “angel” was Asia, the only dog who was not stolen, comforting Fischer while responders made their way to him.  

We must shift our focus to understanding the entire narrative, and that means paying the most attention to Fischer’s story. Fischer is grateful for the kind words he has received from the public as he recovers, as well as Gaga’s endless support as a friend. Yes, Gaga offered $500,000 for her dogs, but it was not selfish. She donates and runs various charities, helping her community. Gaga’s reward for her lost dogs and monetary support for Fischer’s medical care does not mean she cared any more or less for one or the other. Rather, she did the best she could to get her dogs back safely, something that any dog owner would do. 

Tina Savvaides, FCRH ’22, is a chemistry and theology major from Norwalk, Conn.