Gene Hackman’s dog: revealed the causes of death and because it was in a cashier

New details emerge on the death of one of the dogs of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawawhose body was found in their home in Santa Fe, together with the deceased couple, at the end of February.

The dog, a female called Zinfandel (and nicknamed Zinna), probably died of dehydration and hunger, according to a necroscopic relationship obtained on Friday by the Associated Press and by ABC News. The AP cites the New Mexico Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Diagnostic Services as a source of the relationship, while ABC News has obtained the report from the Santa Fe Animal Control.
The 12 -year -old dog stomach, an Australian Kelpie, was in fact empty, apart from “small quantities of hair and bile”, reported the media. According to the AP and ABC News, there were no evidence of infectious diseases, trauma or poisoning. The date of the dog’s death was not communicated, but the autopsy showed a “partial mummification” and a “serious decomposition”.

Why was the Hackman dog in a cashier?

On February 26, after the maintenance employees noticed Arakawa on the bathroom floor and called 911, the police and paramedics discovered Zinna who died in a case. The other two dogs of the couple, Nikita and Bear, were instead around the property and both the entrance door and the one on the back were ajar.

USA TODAY reconstructed the story. Robert Gruda, head of the Group Veterinary Hospital, told the newspaper that he had been told to Betsy Arakawa from confining Zinna to a chest to prevent her from running around after an “important surgery” in January. “He was a very good owner of dogs, an excellent custodian of those dogs,” he said. “He really loved them.”

Near Zinna, Arakawa’s body was decomposition and investigators estimated that she died on February 11. Gene Hackman was found in a mud room with a stick and nearby sunglasses.

According to the office of the Sheriff of the County of Santa Fe, Arakawa, 65, died of the HantaVirus lung syndromea rare disease that contracts with contact with mice excrements. Hackman, 95, was instead suffering from heart disease and complications caused by Alzheimer’s disease and died of natural causes.

According to investigators, after the death of Arakawa, Hackman was no longer able to take care of himself and dogs, and it is likely that, due to Alzheimer’s disease, he didn’t even know that his wife had died.

It is thought that Hackman died about a week after his wife and that his pacemaker showed activities for the last time on February 18th. Nobody knows how the actor’s last days were. The autopsy showed that he had not eaten for a while, but that he did not suffer from dehydration.