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USA Today
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Gene Hackman's dog likely died of starvation and dehydration: Reports
Gene Hackman's dog likely died of starvation and dehydration: Reports Show Caption Hide Caption Death timeline of Gene Hackman, wife Gene Hackman and his wife died a week apart and from entirely different causes. No foul play is suspected in the deaths. New details were released about the death of one of Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa's dogs, whose body was found in their Santa Fe home, along with the deceased couple, in late February. The dog, Zinfandel (nicknamed Zinna), likely died from dehydration and starvation, according to a necropsy report obtained by the Associated Press and ABC News on Friday. The AP cites the New Mexico Department of Agriculture's Veterinary Diagnostic Services as the source of the report, while ABC News sourced the report from Santa Fe Animal Control. USA TODAY has reached out to the Department of Agriculture and Santa Fe Animal Control for more information. The 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix's stomach was mostly empty, with the exception of "small amounts of hair and bile," the news outlets reported. The report also said there was no evidence of infectious disease, trauma or poisoning, per the AP and ABC News. A date of the dog's death was not reported, but outlets stated the autopsy showed "partial mummification" and "severe decomposition." Why was the Hackmans' dog in a crate? On Feb. 26, after maintenance workers spotted Arakawa on her bathroom floor and called 911, sheriff's deputies and paramedics discovered Zinna dead in a crate. The couple's two other dogs, Nikita and Bear, were found roaming the property, and both the front door and a back door were ajar. Robert Gruda, the owner of Gruda Veterinary Hospital, recently told USA TODAY that the hospital's staff had told Arakawa to confine Zinna to a crate to keep her from running around following a "major surgery" in January. 'She was an excellent dog owner, excellent caretaker to those dogs,' he said. 'She really doted on them.' Near Zinna, Arakawa's body showed decomposition, and investigators estimated she'd died Feb. 11. The Oscar-winning actor was found in a mudroom with a cane and sunglasses nearby. According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, Arakawa, 65, died due to Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare disease that is contracted by contact with mouse droppings. According to the CDC, Hantaviruses "are spread mainly by rodents and are not spread from person-to-person." And Hackman, 95, had heart disease and complications caused by Alzheimer's disease and died from natural causes. A mask, a cane and a frantic dog: Inside the final hours of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa Investigators theorized that once Arakawa died, Hackman no longer could care for himself or the dogs. He likely didn't know his wife had died, officials said, citing his Alzheimers disease. Hackman was believed to have died about a week after his wife, with his pacemaker last showing activity on Feb. 18. Hackman had been in very poor health, according to Dr. Heather Jarrell, New Mexico's chief medical examiner. Investigators were unclear how Hackman spent his last days. Jarrell said the autopsy showed that Hackman hadn't eaten recently, but that he did not suffer from dehydration. Contributing: USA TODAY staff
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gene Hackman's dog likely died of starvation and dehydration, necropsy report finds
The dog belonging to actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa that was found dead along with the couple in their New Mexico home last month likely died of dehydration and starvation, according to a newly released report. The dog, an Australian kelpie mix named Zinfandel or "Zinna," was found dead in a crate about 10 to 15 feet from Arakawa's body when the couple was discovered on Feb. 26, according to officials. MORE: Gene Hackman's wife died of hantavirus; actor died of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's: Officials A necropsy report from the Santa Fe Animal Control, dated Thursday, stated there was "severe postmortem decomposition with partial mummification.' The report noted that the dog's stomach was "mostly empty except for very small amounts of hair and bile." 'If the dog was in a confined space without access to food or water, the dog most likely died of dehydration/starvation," the report stated. Hackman, 95, died of cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease likely around Feb. 18, about one week after his wife, officials said. Arakawa, 65, died on about Feb. 11 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare disease transmitted through rodent urine, droppings or saliva, officials said. Her body showed signs of decomposition; there was mummification to her hands and feet, according to a search warrant affidavit. Hackman was likely home with his deceased wife for one week before he died, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said. There was no food in his stomach, which means he had not eaten recently, but he had also no evidence of dehydration, officials said. The Academy Award-winning actor and his wife were found dead during a Feb. 26 welfare check, with no obvious signs of how they died, the sheriff's office said. Their two other dogs were found alive. It appeared they had access to a doggy door; one dog was found near Arakawa's body and the other was located outside, according to the sheriff. MORE: Gene Hackman's 2 surviving dogs are 'safe and adjusting,' friend says Joey Padilla, who owns Santa Fe Tails, where Hackman and Arakawa often boarded their dogs, told ABC News earlier this month that he had the two surviving dogs in his care. "They are safe and adjusting," Padilla said. "I will be holding on to them until I get word on what Betsy's wishes for these dogs are." "Gene and Betsy were amazing friends and dog lovers," he said. "Those dogs were Betsy's babies." Gene Hackman's dog likely died of starvation and dehydration, necropsy report finds originally appeared on
