Many are concerned about Gene Hackman’s dogs and what happened to them. The 95-year-old Oscar-winning actor and his 64-year-old wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead on Wednesday, February 26, as reported by Newsweek. One of the couple’s dogs was also found dead in their Santa Fe home. Their two other dogs were found alive on the premises. Here’s what we know so far about Gene Hackman’s dogs and what kind of dogs they are.
What is the latest update on Gene Hackman’s dogs?
[Update, 3/4/2025] We now know the names of the dogs along with an important correction from the initial findings. According to a new report from USA Today, the dog that died was not actually the German shepherd, but Zinna, a 12-year-old Australian Kelpie. Arakawa had rescued Zinna from a shelter and planned on putting her in agility competitions at the Westminster Dog Show. How Zinna might have died in the crate still remains undetermined.
The two surviving dogs are Nikita, a 7-year-old Akita-shepherd cross, and Bear, the German shepherd. Both dogs are at a pet daycare called Sante Fe Tails, as stated by Hackman’s handyman Joey Padilla, who drove them to the facility. Bear was the dog found still alive 10 to 12 feet away from Arakawa, while Nikita was the one running about in the backyard. Animal control staffers were able to retrieve both dogs, with them needing to set a door trap overnight in the yard to collar NIkita.
It’s unclear why the dogs were misidentified in the initial reports, but a spokeswoman for the Sante Fe County Sheriff’s Office said that their “deputies do not deal with canines on a daily basis.”
Bear and Nikita will remain at the facility until lawyers for Hackman and Arakawa can determine if there is any mention of what needs to be done with the dogs in their wills. Either way, Padilla says that they will not be stuck in a shelter. A local company has donated food to feed them while a vet hospital has offered to cremate Zinna, though police still need the dog’s body for the investigation.
[Update, 2/28/2025] The two surviving dogs are healthy, and the Santa Fe County Animal Control Division is “working with family” to ensure that they are safe, according to a police statement.
[Original] Gene Hackman and his wife had three dogs at their home when they were found by police, with one dog found dead and two dogs still surviving.
According to ABC News, the dog that passed away was a German shepherd and was found 10 to 15 feet from Arakawa, who was found lying on her side on the bathroom floor. The dog was found dead in its crate or kennel, as noted by Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, and this kennel was found in a closet of the bathroom, according to the search warrant.
Not much is known about Hackman’s two surviving dogs, including details about their ages and breeds. One of the dogs was also near Arakawa and is described as being “healthy,” while the other surviving dog was located outside. We will update this article if we learn more about their welfare.
It’s still unclear how Hackman, Arakawa, and their pet died. The search warrant affidavit said that their deaths were “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.” The sheriff’s office said that no foul play is suspected.
Hackman has been known to be a dog lover. As revealed by Animal Rescue, Inc., while the ator was filming “The Replacements” in 1999, two stray German shepherds wandered onto the set and both were transported to Animal Rescue, Inc. The Hackmans eventually adopted one of them and named him Gene. The animal shelter recently posted a tribute to Hackman, calling him his “most famous adopter.”
