A dog owned by actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, likely died of dehydration and starvation, according to a recent necropsy of the animal.
The New Mexico Department of Agriculture Veterinary Diagnostic Services issued a report saying the dog, named Zinna, was found dead in a crate in the bathroom closet of Hackman’s Santa Fe home not far from Arakawa who had adopted the dog.
“There was no evidence of an infectious disease, trauma (intentional or accidental), neoplasia, or toxicosis that could have lead to death,” Ragsdale wrote.
Hantaviruses are spread through rodents and vermin and cause pulmonary diseases, such as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Upon discovery, Zinnia, similar to Arakawa, was partially mummified amid severe decomposition and her stomach was mostly empty except for small amounts of hair and bile. Ragsdale said that Zinna’s spleen was missing.
“The dog recently had surgery with incisions in the small intestine,” the report stated. “The reason for the surgery could not be determined due to the severe autolysis.”
Autolysis is a process in which the body starts to feed upon itself as part of decomposition.
Arakawa was also the actor’s caregiver and is believed to have died on Feb. 11, before Hackman, who may not have been aware that his wife was dead.
The couple had two other dogs, who are both still alive. One dog is named Bear and the other Nikita, according to Santa Fe Tails pet care facility owner Joey Padilla, who is now involved in caring for the two dogs.
Padilla said that Zinna “was always attached to Betsy at the hip and it was a beautiful relationship. Zinna went from being a returned shelter dog to this incredible companion under Betsy’s hand.”
When asked questions about Zinna’s necropsy, NMDA government and public affairs manager Candie Sweetser said that a New Mexico court had granted a temporary restraining order against the release of records related to the investigation into Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths.
“The order was requested by Julia Peters, a representative for the couple’s estate, who urged that the court seal records to protect the family’s right to privacy in grief,” Sweetser told NTD in an email. “At this time we are awaiting input from an attorney on what we can release.”
Zinna was thought to be a male shepherd mixed breed dog but Ragsdale wrote in the report that the reddish-brown canine had been misgendered.
“The dog was a spayed female dog that was most similar to an Australian kelpie,” Ragsdale said.
Hackman is known for being a five-time Oscar nominee and for winning best actor in “The French Connection” in 1972. He also won best actor in a supporting role for “Unforgiven” and had supporting roles in many acclaimed films, including “The Conversation,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” and “Hoosiers.”
