Man who shot Lady Gaga’s dog walker jailed for 21 years

James Howard Jackson, one of the men arrested for shooting Ryan Fischer, Lady Gaga‘s dog walker, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison.

A dog walker is someone licensed and paid to walk other people’s dogs.

In February last year, Fischer was walking Gaga’s three French bulldogs — Asia, Koji, and Gustav — when Jackson and his gang attacked him and fled with two of the dogs.

Jackson was said to have shot Fischer with a 40-caliber handgun in the chest. During the attack, the third dog was said to have run away and was found later by the police.

The two stolen dogs were also later returned to the police after Gaga offered a $500,000 reward.

The Los Angeles police had in its findings said Jackson and his gang stole the dogs because of their value, adding that they had no idea the dogs belong to the musician.

French bulldogs are a popular breed that can sell for thousands of dollars.

According to BBC, the embattled man was arraigned before the court on Monday.

At the hearing, Jackson pleaded no contest to the attempted murder charge against him and was immediately sentenced to jail.

A no-contest plea is similar to a guilty plea in California.

During the hearing, Jackson admitted he shot Fischer in the chest and left him severely injured.

It is understood that other charges pressed against him were subsequently dismissed by the court as part of the plea deal.

Fischer, who also attended the hearing on Monday, had earlier revealed that he had to remove part of his lung after the attack.

In a post via his Instagram page after the sentencing, he reflected on the near-death experience.

“It’s hard to believe that it’s nearing two years since I was taking Asia, Koji and Gustav out for an evening stroll when — in an instant — I suddenly found myself fighting with everything I had to protect those dogs from being stolen,” he wrote.

“But it wasn’t enough: I was beaten, strangled, shot, and left to die bleeding out … gasping for my life. And Koji and Gustav were gone.”