Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were both found dead at their $3.8million home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, last week with their dog Zinna
Betsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman were found dead in their home (
Image: 2003 AP)
Gene Hackman’s two remaining dogs narrowly avoided the tragic fate that befell the actor, his wife, and their third dog last week, all thanks to a doggy door that allowed them to escape.
The Oscar-winning actor, his spouse Betsy Arakawa, and their third dog Zinna were found deceased in their lavish $3.8 million Santa Fe residence, with the cause of death currently unknown pending the results of toxicology tests. Authorities did not perform a necropsy on Zinna, who was located in a kennel inside a bathroom closet, approximately 10 to 15 feet from where Betsy’s semi-mummified body was discovered.
Only the couple’s German shepherd Bear, and their second dog Nikita survived, according to Joey Padilla, proprietor of Santa Fe Tails pet care, where Gene and Betsy frequently boarded their pets.
The two dogs are now being looked after. ABC News reported, as per the Daily Mail, that the doggy door permitted the two other canines to move freely in and out of the house where Gene and Betsy had likely been deceased for nine days before their bodies were discovered on February 28.
This freedom likely gave them access to food and water outside, which is what kept them alive. Upon discovery, one of the surviving dogs was near Betsy’s remains, while the other was found outside the home.
“[Zinna] was always attached to Betsy at the hip and it was a beautiful relationship,” Joey shared with the Associated Press. “Zinna went from being a returned shelter dog to this incredible companion under Betsy’s hand.”
The circumstances surrounding Zinna’s death, found lifeless in a closet, remain shrouded in mystery. “I will be holding on to them until I get word on what Betsy’s wishes for these dogs are,” Joey disclosed to ABC News.
Before the pandemic, Joey frequently encountered the couple, noting that the dogs were “Betsy’s babies.”
Yet, post-pandemic, Joey’s visits with Gene ceased as Betsy limited interactions to safeguard the actor’s health. Betsy’s last visit to the boarding center was in January, where she seemed unchanged according to Joey.
The enigma of the couple’s demise deepens with no indication that carbon monoxide poisoning played a part in their untimely end.
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