Authorities Release Heartbreaking Details About Gene Hackman's Dogs

Yahoo

13-03-2025

Authorities have shared heartbreaking details about actor Gene Hackman's dogs.
Fire Chief Brian Moya told USA Today that authorities were first called to the Hackman home when a maintenance man spotted the body of his wife, Betsy Arakawa, lying on the ground.
When authorities entered the home, they quickly found Arakawa's body. Although Hackman was also deceased inside the residence, authorities did not realize that for about 30 minutes, Moya said.
And it was the beloved actor's two surviving dogs that helped them find him, Moya told the publication.
The dogs "kept running" up to first responders, who initially thought they were being playful but then realized the animals were trying to tell them something, Moya told USA Today.
'They realized (the dog) was trying to say, 'Hey, come over here! Come over here!'' Moya said. One of the dogs then led authorities to Hackman's body and sat next to it, according to USA Today.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff and the chief medical examiner previously released the causes of death for Hackman and Arakawa. They revealed that she died of Hantavirus Syndrome around Feb. 11, which is an ailment caused by exposure to rodent droppings.
In a press conference, they also revealed that the couple's third dog, Zinna, died inside a crate where the animal was being kept due to a medical procedure. Hackman died of hypertension and cardiac issues, with Alzheimer's Disease as a contributing factor, they said. The authorities also revealed the heartbreaking detail that Hackman died second and was alive for about a week after his wife passed away inside the home, although he may not have been aware that she died.