Pets

Lady Gaga may have been the target of criminals who shot her dog walker and stole 2 of her French Bulldogs ... law enforcement tells TMZ.

We're told the LAPD is seriously looking at the possibility the shooter/thieves knew the dogs were owned by Gaga, and the video obtained by TMZ more than supports that theory.

If you look closely, the car that comes upon dog walker Ryan Fischer clearly was headed for him. The car stops and two people immediately jump out and attack the dog walker. There's no way they would have instantly known these dogs were a valuable breed ... they're small and it was dark outside. The dogs could have easily been rescues, mixed breeds, a less valuable breed ... fact is, these criminals knew.

What's more ... our law enforcement sources tell us, Ryan Fischer told numerous people in the neighborhood he was walking Gaga's dogs, so lots of people knew.

From what we know, this was supposed to be a short walk -- 10 PM at night, so the dogs could go poop and pee. It's not like the robbers were able to follow Ryan a long distance ... if they were indeed targeting Gaga's dogs, they could have scoped him out in the days before to determine his walking schedule.

As for the $500,000 ransom Gaga is offering ... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ no one has been in touch with the singer or her reps so far demanding payment.

The abduction of Lady Gaga's dogs and the shooting of her dog walker has put Hollywood dog walkers on high alert ... they're looking to protect themselves and the pets they care for with some significant firepower.

We contacted a bunch of dog walking companies in the Hollywood area -- where the shooting/abduction went down -- and according to a few companies, they're increasing security -- changing their dog-walking schedules to prevent a repeat of what happened Wednesday night.

Anna-Marie Arredondo, owner of Happy Heart Pet Care in WeHo, tells TMZ ... she's looking to get a concealed carry permit, STAT. If she's successful -- which is incredibly difficult to obtain in California -- she plans on packing heat on her walks.

She's also looking into taking jiu-jitsu classes so she can protect herself and the pets. What's more ... all nighttime walks will only go down in well-lit, highly-trafficked areas. She says if it's too dark or sketchy ... she'll haul the dogs in her car and drive to a safer spot.

Renee Lutz, owner of Fetch! Pet Care in the Hollywood Hills, tells TMZ ... she'll give all 38 of her dog walkers pepper spray and flashlights. She's also 86ing nighttime walks.

Alyssa and Saul, owners of Troop Canine in Griffith Park, tell TMZ ... they, too, are no longer doing nighttime walks ... for the foreseeable future, they'll limiting walks to mornings and afternoons. They're also looking into purchasing body cams, like GoPros, so cameras are rolling should any would-be thieves want to get handsy.

All the owners we spoke to said they'll continue to walk French Bulldogs ... a coveted breed. TMZ broke the story ... Lady Gaga's dog walker, Ryan Fischer, was shot Wednesday night in Hollywood after 2 men got out of a white sedan and abducted 2 of her French bulldogs, Koji and Gustav.

TMZ has obtained dramatic, upsetting video, of the actual confrontation between the shooters and Lady Gaga's dog walker which ended with the dog walker shot and 2 of her dogs stolen.

The surveillance video from a neighbor's home shows a white sedan roll up on the dog walker, Ryan Fischer, and 2 men get out of the backseat ... you hear one of the men cock the gun, saying, "give it up."

Fischer puts up a fight, screaming for help and yelling for Koji -- one of the dogs -- before the gun goes off, striking Fischer in the chest ... he immediately hits the sidewalk. Each of the thieves then pile into the backseat, with one dog per person ... the second dog can be heard yelping as it's taken ... and the third dog left behind runs back to Fischer.

The neighbor only agreed to release this video after getting word that Gaga's team wanted it to be seen to catch the shooter and recover her dogs, Koji and Gustav. The neighbor believes the getaway vehicle was a Nissan, it appears it could have been an Altima or Sentra.

TMZ broke the story ... Fischer was out walking 3 of Gaga's French Bulldogs late Wednesday when the attack happened. Gaga has offered $500,000 for their return.

Lady Gaga's dogs were targeted by thieves Wednesday night ... thieves who shot her dog walker and stole 2 of her French Bulldogs ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ, and we're told Gaga is offering $500,000 for the return of her dogs, "no questions asked."

The dog walker had three of Gaga's Bulldogs out in Hollywood just before 10 PM when one gunman -- and possibly more -- came upon him. We don't know what was said, but the dog walker was shot and the gunman made off with 2 of the dogs, named Koji and Gustav.

There are reports there were only 2 Bulldogs being walked with one taken and one escaped that was later found, but our law enforcement sources tell us 3 dogs were being walked and 2 were taken by the gunman. We're told the 3rd dog had run away but was later recovered.

Gaga's been in Rome working on a new movie, her bodyguard was seen picking up the recovered Bulldog. Sources close to Gaga tell us she's extremely upset and is offering a half-a-million dollars to anyone who has her 2 dogs ... again, no questions asked.  We're told anyone who has the dogs can use this email -- KojiandGustav@gmail.com -- to retrieve the reward.

The dog walker was taken to the hospital and we're told he's expected to fully recover.

Law enforcement does not know if the target was Lady Gaga's dogs specifically. French Bulldogs are in demand and expensive, so our sources say it's possible the gunman did not know the dogs were owned by Lady Gaga.

The gunman is still on the loose.

Nobody's above bending over to pick up after their dog ... just ask Stassie Karanikolaou who says her billionaire pal Kylie Jenner even gets down and dirty.

We got Stassie leaving the trendy eatery Croft Alley Wednesday afternoon in L.A. and wondered if her BFF has handlers to handle all deuces ... especially because KJ's got a new pup, Kevin.

Well, we asked and Stassie gave us the straight poop on ... who's doing Kev clean-up duty. Hehe. Anyway, her answer is a good lesson for dog owners everywhere, and says a lot about Kylie.

As for the mad pooper ... sorry we meant to say Kevin -- his fur mom introduced him to the world a few days ago, and if stupid amounts of cute are your thing, he's got ya covered.

He's got plenty of siblings, besides Stormi, to keep him occupied too -- Kylie reportedly has chickens, bunnies and 8 more dogs!!!

Here's a verrrry good girl with a little extra pep in her steps ... she was born with 6 legs but veterinarians say the pooch is miraculously beating the odds.

This newborn Aussie-border collie mix named Miracle but who also goes by Skipper was born in Oklahoma City and taken to a vet after she was rejected by her mom. Vets at Neel Veterinary Hospital say she's nothing short of a miracle because she's survived longer than expected. The pup was 4 days old at the time the pic was taken.

And get this ... the vets say Skipper has duplicate organs basically from her waist down, and they're all functioning. There's no published research showing another dog with this condition born alive.

Skipper has congenital conjoining disorders called ... monocephalus dipygus and monocephalus rachipagus dibrachius tetrapus ... that's science talk for 1 head and chest cavity but 2 pelvic regions, 2 lower urinary tracts, 2 reproductive systems, 2 tails and 6 legs, among other things.

All things considered ... Skipper does have some positive signs going for her. The vets say her organs appear to be in great condition and she's peeing and pooping like a normal doggy, She's also very strong and growing appropriately so far.

Cristiano Ronaldo's pet cat is down to 8 lives ... it's currently recovering in Spain after being hit by a car.

The animal, Pepe, is a hairless Sphynx cat -- the beloved family pet who travels everywhere with the Ronaldos on private jets, fancy cars and stays in mansions all over the world. Pepe has been a part of the Ronaldo family for about 2 years.

But, Pepe was badly hurt recently -- after leaving the family residence in Turin, Italy and getting run over by a car.

"It was close to death and after a month and a half in intensive care at the vet’s, we’ve decided my sister Ivana should look after it," CR7's girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez told the Spanish magazine InStyle.

"Pepe’s now in Spain recovering ... now he's in the best hands."

Sphynx cats only have an average lifespan of 8 to 14 years ... and it sounds like the Ronaldos are doing everything they can to help little Pepe get to double digits.

President Biden's dog, Champ, got skewered as old, ugly and unkempt on a conservative news channel that's grasping at straws ... saying the very good boy is un-presidential.

The segment aired Friday on Newsmax, during Greg Kelly's show ... where he literally hosted a couple of guests to discuss Biden's first German Shepherd, Champ -- who's at least 12-years-old -- and how disheveled they all thought he looked compared to First Dogs past.

They posted a photo of Champ, where he looks ... well, doggish. In GK's eyes, however, he appeared un-brushed, ungroomed and downright gross ... like a junkyard dog, they claim!

Kelly brought on two presidential historians (who are apparently pros in judging dog looks) and asked for their opinion, and one of them hopped on the meanie train ... saying Champ couldn't hold a candle to Reagan's pooch, Victory, or H.W.'s spaniel, Millie.

Aside from the fact the segment is utterly absurd -- almost harkening back to the Obama tan suit "scandal" -- there's another weird development here that's unfolding online.

You'll recall ... the Bidens launched a Twitter account for Champ and Major -- and apparently a second account too, dubbed The Oval Pawffice -- but both seem to have been suspended for some reason. There's still an IG account for the latter, and it went to bat for Champ.

Hillary Clinton is piling on Sen. Ted Cruz for leaving his poor pup behind in his "freezing" Houston home during his infamous trip to Cancun ... she says it's a huge red flag for voters.

The former Secretary of State took a not-so-thinly veiled shot Friday at Cancun Cruz, tweeting ... "Don't vote for anyone you wouldn't trust with your dog." Zing!!!

HC has clearly seen the sad New York Magazine photo of the Texas Senator's pooch, Snowflake, who was left behind in the same home Cruz's wife said was "freezing" after a lengthy power outage from the deadly winter storm.

Cruz quickly hightailed it back to Texas after tons of backlash, and now admits he made a huge mistake by flying south during the Texas crisis back home ... but he's been mum on Snowflake.

When Sen. Ted Cruz and his wife, Heidi, jetted off to Cancun they grabbed their kids, and even thought to invite neighbors -- but left their little dog home alone in "freezing" conditions.

Poor Snowflake. While the fam's soaking up the rays, the pooch was left to fend for itself ... according to a New York Magazine reporter who snapped this shot of Snowflake all alone in the Houston home Heidi herself said they desperately needed to escape.

There was a security guard in the driveway who reportedly said he was taking care of Snowflake -- but remember, the Cruz house has NO heat, just like millions of other Texans who are riding out the brutal winter storm.

A few of those folks -- Ted and Heidi's neighbors -- actually scored an invite to Cancun ... based on texts she allegedly fired off before they flew the coop. Reform Austin says it obtained the messages in which she asked a couple neighbors, "Anyone can or want to leave for the week?"

Heidi even told them which flights she was taking with Ted and the kids ... and boasted they were getting rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Cancun for $309 per night. She explained they "couldn't stand it anymore" because their house was absolutely freezing -- and the only alternative was for all the neighbors to huddle together at one friend's house ... who did have heat.

In the end, we know what the Senator and his fam opted to do. Interestingly, Heidi's texts make no mention of their daughters going to visit with friends in Cancun ... as their pops, Cancun Cruz, claimed on Thursday.

Of course, once he returned -- in the face of all the backlash -- Cruz admitted he'd made a colossal blunder in taking the trip.

If Zach Braff were to put on his old TV scrubs and take his dog's vitals right now -- they'd probably be through the roof ... especially on their way to the dog park.

The actor was spotted this week taking his newest pooch, Billie, to play some fetch ... and the little gal was literally bouncing around in the parking lot as Zach swung around his fancy toy. We're not exaggerating either -- this dog's got HOPS!

It looks like what Billie was gonna go chase down is part of a ball launcher -- which helps people chuck a dog's best friend way further and more easily than they might normally be able to with just their arm.

In any case, Billie was all about it. You can almost hear her screaming, "Gimme, gimme, gimme!!!" ... in dog language, of course. BTW, Zach's pup is a foster dog he and GF Florence Pugh recently took in back in April -- who's been spayed, as Zach has documented.

Tyrann Mathieu can come through big time for PETA if he intercepts Tom Brady in the big game ... a fan is dangling a 6-figure carrot for the dog-loving Kansas City Chiefs star.

The animal rights org tells TMZ ... an anonymous fan has offered to donate a whopping $100,000 to PETA if Tyrann makes an interception in the Super Bowl.

We're told the money is earmarked for PETA's fieldwork team, which operates in parts of Virginia and North Carolina and provides free pet services to low-income communities.

$100k would go a long way for dogs in distress in those areas ... PETA's fieldwork team provides free food deliveries, custom-built doghouses and straw bedding, plus flea, tick and fly-strike prevention to those poor pooches struggling through another rough winter.

Tyrann, known as the Honey Badger for much of his football career, is a longtime PETA supporter with a special place in his heart for man's best friend.

In fact, Tyrann's the star of two viral PETA videos ... he once trapped himself in a hot car to demonstrate what happens to dogs locked in the same situation, and also shivered inside a walk-in freezer to illustrate how dogs suffer when they're left outdoors on frigid nights.

PETA tells us they'll be cheering Tyrann on Sunday when his Chiefs take on Brady's Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55 down in Tampa, knowing he'd be stoked to secure the big donation.

Tyrann intercepted TB12 when the two teams met in the regular season ... can he do it again???

Dr. Jill Biden's teamed up with a couple furry celebs for a very fitting Super Bowl Sunday commercial ... to air during Puppy Bowl XVII.

The First Lady and the First Dogs -- Champ and Major -- are making a special appearance to promote the continued use of face masks during the pandemic.

The German shepherds won't be live at Puppy Bowl ... Jill and co. recorded their bit at the White House. They looked super cozy in front of a fire as Jill talked about pets being a constant source of joy and comfort ... and Zoom crashers.

Part of the Puppy Bowl's mission is to also spread awareness about rescue animals, and as you may know ... Major is a rescue dog, believed to be the first to live at The White House.

Bill Maher did not disappoint Friday night, offering up a bunch of reasons why Champ and Major are the wokest dogs on Pennsylvania Ave.

The 'Real Time' host hilariously ticked off reasons why the Bidens' pooches sit on the progressive side of things.

For instance ... Major only smells asses that are gluten-free, and Champ's a German Shepherd but identifies as a Dobie.

As you know by now, there's Major news at 1600 because it now has the first rescue dog ever at the White House.

Speaking of ... Champ and Major were much quicker to make themselves at home than a previous White House occupant ... so says B.M.

The dogs have already made their presence known ... they were barking up a storm outside the Oval Monday as Biden signed an order reversing Trump's ban on transgender people serving in the military.

Keith Walker -- the Atlanta homeless hero who saved 16 dogs and cats from a burning animal shelter -- is one step closer to leaving homelessness behind him ... thanks to the generosity of a local org.

Darlene Schultz, CEO of the Atlanta-based org, Georgia Works!, tells TMZ ... Keith is slated to enter her program. The goal is to make him a self-sufficient person ... and that includes teaching him occupational skills and money management.

We're told Georgia Works! -- whose goal is to take chronically homeless men and help them overcome their obstacles -- has been working with organizers of the GoFundMe set up to help Keith. The fundraiser, so far, has raised almost $90k since Keith became a hit for his bravery and love of animals.

As we reported ... Keith risked his own life last month to save dogs and cats from a burning shelter where, BTW, his own dog was being temporarily boarded. Georgia Works! will provide housing at its downtown ATL facility and Keith will visit his dog, which is now at another facility.

Keith will also get 3 meals a day plus access to a licensed therapist who is on duty 24/7 and staff that helps the men attend AA meetings and various job-readiness classes.

Air travel could be a lot safer than it is now, when it comes to COVID-19 -- instead of relying on the honor system to screen passengers, dogs that can sniff the virus could be deployed.

The dogs are being trained at Florida International University, and Dr. DeEtta Mills, who's leading the program, joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" to explain how the canines get up to snuff.

The good doc says their program is similar to how dogs learn to detect bombs and drugs -- but instead of explosives and contraband, trainers used discarded face masks from COVID-positive patients.

The NBA's Miami Heat are about to start using coronavirus-sniffing dogs to screen fans at AmericanAirlines Arena ... and Dr. Mills thinks our airlines and airports could adopt the process too.

Virus-sniffing dogs are already being used to detect COVID-19 in Chile, United Arab Emirates and Finland. Researchers say the highly-trained canines detect the disease with almost 100% accuracy.