Lady Gaga has offered a $500,000 reward for information after her dogwalker was shot and her two dogs stolen by an unknown assailant. The incident occurred on Wednesday night in Hollywood where the pop superstar lives.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has said that one man was shot around 9.40pm and was taken to hospital. The wounded man told police that the suspect used a semi-automatic handgun and fled in a white sedan vehicle. Thankfully, the wounded man is said to be in a stable condition and his life is not thought to now be at risk. The LAPD said in a statement that they were looking for a male who:
"Fired a gunshot from an unknown location and struck the victim on North Sierra Bonita Avenue at 9:40pm on Wednesday night."
The two dogs taken in the attack are French bulldogs. The dog-walker had been with three of Gaga's French bulldogs at the time, but he was heroically able to hold onto one of them.
The police have said that they are investigating a series of similar incidents involving the theft of French bulldogs in the area and that at present, they do not believe they were targeted specifically because they belonged to Lady Gaga, real name Stefanie Germanotta.
A source close to the singer told the media that Gaga is:
"Offering half-a-million dollars to anyone who has her two dogs, no questions asked. Anyone who has the dogs can use this email, KojiandGustav@gmail.com to retrieve the reward."
There is likely to be a financial incentive for the crime. French bulldogs can be extremely expensive, and puppies are sold at prices of around $2,000 (£1,400). In some cases, they can go for as high as $10,000 (£7,060). Over the last 10 years, French bulldogs have become one of the most sought after and popular breeds in the whole of the United States and are particularly popular with the rich and famous.
Gaga is known to be a huge dog fan and they have been seen with her on many occasions, notably at the 2017 Superbowl halftime show.
Authorities are advising anyone who is approached with the offer of a French bulldog to be aware of the crime and that anyone with any information should get in touch as soon as possible.
[h/t: BBC]
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