The dead dog of Gene Hackman misunderstood, surviving the ‘really terrified’ pets

While the authorities continue to investigate the mysterious death of the legendary actor Genes Hackman And his wife, Betsy Arakawa, a false step was found in the case.

The dog that was found dead near Arakawa’s body was erroneously identified by the department of the Santa Fe County Sheriff in the investigation, Fox News Digital can confirm.

The owner of Santa Fe Tails, the pet care center that hosted two other surviving dogs of Hackman, explained that the dead dog was a different race than the one in the affidavit of the search warrant, obtained by Fox News Digital.

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The dead dog of the “The French Connection” Gene Hackman has been mistakenly identified, confirmed a pet care center with Fox News Digital. (Animal Rescue, Inc.)

Hackman’s three dogs and his wife were called Zinna, Bear and Nikita.

“Zinna was a street dog … a mixed race,” said Joey Padilla, owner of Santa Fe Tails, with Fox News Digital. “Bear is the German pastor of pure race and the mixture of nikita pastor.”

Actor Gene Hackman at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Chicago on May 10, 1985. (Paul Natkin/Getty images)

The spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office of the County of Santa Fe, Denise Womack-Avila, acknowledged that the agents initially identified the race of the deceased dog erroneously.

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The officials responsible for enforcing the law speak outside the Casa del actor Gene Hackman on Thursday, February 27, 2025 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead at home a day before. (Photo AP/Roberto Rosales)

“Our deputies do not work with canines daily,” he said, according to Associated Press.

Padilla told Fox News Digital that the pastor mixture seemed scared by him Mysterious events That developed around his now deceased owners.

“Nikita is The Shepherd Mix, and she was the one who was really terrified of what was happening when all this was happening. It was really difficult,” said Padilla.

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Gene Hackman in the 1988 film “Mississippi Burning”. (David Appleby/Orion/Everett Collection)

While it is not clear how long the surviving dogs were neglected, the owner of the Care Center said that the mixture of pastor “was hungry”, and his team tried to give their treats. However, the dog did not take the treats immediately since there were “too many people.”

He continued explaining that animal services “used a trap” for the pastor mixture and then the pet care center picked up the dog.

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The authorities have been looking for answers after the death of Hackman and Arakawa, whose partially mummified bodies were discovered on February 26 in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Ron Davis/Getty Images)

The authorities have been looking for answers after the death of Hackman and Arakawa, whose partially mummified bodies were discovered on February 26 in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The authorities did not perform a necropsy about Zinna, who was found in a kennel in a bathroom close to Arakawa, according to the search warrant. Initially, the researchers noticed the discovery of a “German German color canine who died in color.”

The Oscar -winning actor and his wife, a classic pianist, gave negative for carbon monoxide, according to the department of the Santa Fe Sheriff. (Jeffrey Mayer/Wiremage)

Hackman and Arakawa may have died up to two weeks before, said the Santa Fe County Sheriff, Adan Mendoza.

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The winning actor of an Oscar and his wife, a classic pianist, tried negative for Carbon monoxideAccording to the department of the Sheriff of Santa Fe. Hackman probably died about nine days before his body was discovered by the authorities.

According to a press release obtained by Fox News Digital on Tuesday, the New Mexico Gas Company “He confirmed that he conducted an extensive research for gas and carbon monoxide leaks” on February 26 and made “not significant findings” in the isolated house of the couple.

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Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa married in 1991. (Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Recovered detectives Two cell phones, two different recipes and a 2025 planner while inspecting the residence, according to the inventory list of the search warrant obtained by Fox News Digital.

While the bodies of Hackman and Arakawa found under what detectives call “suspicious” circumstances, the authorities confirmed that there was no external trauma in Hackman or Arakawa and the case remains open waiting for autopsy and toxicology results.

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Larry Fink of Fox News Digital, Tracy Wright and Christina Dugan Ramírez, as well as Associated Press, contributed to this report.