The world was stunned when the two-time Oscar-winning star Gene Hackman, 95, was found dead last month along with his 65 year-old wife Betsy Arakawa. Sadly, one of their three dogs was found dead with them.
The only silver lining in this whole tragedy so far is that two of Hackman’s beloved pups did survive.
Hackman, Arakawa, and their dog Zinna had already been passed away for quite some time when they were found. Now. Zinna’s cause of death has been revealed.
Zinna’s Cause Of Death
The Santa Fe County animal control has revealed that Zinna, a 12 year-old Australian Kelpie mix whose full name was Zinfandel, died of dehydration and starvation. She was sadly locked in a crate that was located near the body of Arakawa, which was found in a bathroom. By the time she was discovered, Zinna’s body was partially mummified, as was Arakawa’s.
There was no sign of infectious disease, trauma, or poisoning in Zinna’s system. Her stomach was empty.
Robert Gruda, the owner of Gruda Veterinary Hospital, recently told USA Today that staffers at his hospital had recently told Arakawa to confine Zinna to a crate. This was to prevent the dog from running around after undergoing a major surgery in January.
“She was friendly, dutiful,” he said of Arakawa. “That’s how we make a living, with owners that care for their animals and see us consistently.”
Hackman And Arakawa’s Other Dogs Help Police
Zinna was one of Hackman and Arakawa’s three dogs. The other two, Bear and Nikita, were found roaming the couple’s Santa Fe mansion freely when police arrived on the scene. In fact, they helped officers find Hackman’s body, according to Santa Fe Fire Department Chief Brian Moya.
Upon entering the home, police found the bodies of Arakawa and Zinna right away. They searched for Hackman for nearly 30 minutes, but could find no sign of him. During their search, Bear and Nikita kept running up to officers, who thought they wanted to play at first. Eventually, they realized that they were actually trying to help.
“They realized [the dog] was trying to say, ‘Hey, come over here! Come over here!’” Moya told USA Today.
Bear and Nikita then led the officers to Hackman. Thankfully, they have each since been re-homed. Find out more about this in the video below.
Full Story: Gene Hackman’s Surviving Dogs Find Loving Homes
Arakawa And Hackman’s Deaths
It has since been revealed that Arakawa died of Hantavirus, a rare flu-like virus transmitted through rodent droppings. She likely passed away on February 12, which was when she made her last phone call. Until this phone call came to light, officials had believed that Arakawa died on February 11, which is when she was last seen on surveillance footage driving back into her gated community.
Full Story: Gene Hackman’s Wife’s Final Phone Call Revealed
While it’s devastating that Zinna died in this way, we can all find comfort in knowing that she is with Hackman and Arakawa. Please join us in saying a prayer for Bear and Nikta as they recover from this tragedy in their new homes.
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