AceShowbiz - Lady GaGa's dog walker has admitted his doctors "didn't think (he) was going to survive" after he was shot by thieves when walking the pop star's pets.

Ryan Fischer was left fighting for his life in February (21) when he was attacked while walking Gaga's three French bulldogs - Miss Asia, Gustav and Koji.

His attackers stole Gustav and Koji while Miss Asia managed to flee from the scene, and Ryan was rushed to hospital for surgery.

And now, Ryan - who had to undergo surgery again when his lung collapsed - has said his doctors didn't think he would survive.

He said in an upcoming interview with Gayle King on "CBS Mornings", "It was a severe one shot. And when I went back, because I had to go back to the hospital a second time to have the surgery because my lung had collapsed, the people in the ER who I'd seen that night told me that they didn't think I was gonna survive that night. And I had felt that, because I was very awake during, while they were operating on me that night. But just to hear them say it, it was, it makes it more real."

The full interview is set to air on Friday (17Sep21), and Gayle has commented on the "trauma" Ryan has been dealing with since his attack.

She said, "He's been through a lot, guys … He's been through a lot of trauma and a lot of drama. He really is on a healing journey. We've been trying to talk to him for a very long time and he hasn't been ready to talk, really, until now."

Ryan previously spoke about his shooting earlier this month, when he said his only concern was making sure the dogs could be found even though he was "bleeding out" on the ground.

Speaking about his near-fatal attack, he said, "My mind started working really quickly. I really had to weigh my options - do I say who the dogs belong to? Because if I do, it adds more media attention."

"I was bleeding out and that was the thought that was going through my head. 'What's the best way to do this so the dogs can be found?' "