How Gene Hackman’s Dog Helped First Responders at His Home

The Santa Fe Fire Department and the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene after receiving a call for assistance.

Upon arrival, paramedics pushed open the front door and immediately found a woman, later identified as Betsy Arakawa, lying on the bathroom floor.

Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya stated that she appeared deceased, prompting the paramedics to step back outside and call for backup, following standard protocol.

Sheriff’s deputies arrived shortly after, joining the paramedics and three additional firefighters in a thorough inspection of the home.

Arakawa’s body showed visible signs of decomposition, and a bottle of prescription thyroid medication, along with loose pills, was found on the bathroom counter.

As the search continued, first responders checked all rooms, closets, and hallways, searching for other individuals or potential evidence of foul play.

Thirty minutes passed with no further discoveries. However, one of the couple’s dogs repeatedly approached the responders, barking and running off before returning.

Initially, they believed the dog was trying to play. “They realized (the dog) was trying to say, ‘Hey, come over here! Come over here!'” Chief Moya explained.

Following the dog’s persistent cues, first responders were led to a mudroom near the kitchen. There, they found Hackman’s body on the floor. His sunglasses and cane were nearby, and his hands showed signs of decomposition.

A back door had been propped open, allowing the couple’s dogs to move in and out of the house freely.

The timeline leading up to the discovery of Hackman and Arakawa raises several questions. Surveillance footage showed Arakawa visiting a pharmacy on February 11, the last known day she was alive. On that day, she ran errands, including grocery shopping and sending an email.

However, there was one stop she failed to make. Arakawa had placed an order for prescription dog food and medication for one of her three dogs — Zinna, Bear, and Nikita — at Gruda Veterinary Hospital. Despite being a dedicated pet owner, she never picked up the order.

Veterinary staff, who had known Arakawa for years, found this highly unusual. The following week, after February 17, they attempted to call her to remind her about the order, but their calls went unanswered.

“She was devoted to those dogs,” Robert Gruda, the hospital’s owner, said. “She was consistent, predictable. We knew something was wrong when she didn’t pick up the food on time.”

Arakawa had been a longtime client at Gruda Veterinary Hospital, where she was known for her attentiveness to her dogs’ needs. She consistently brought them in for checkups and treatments, forming a close rapport with the staff.

She was particularly attached to Zinna, whose full name was Zinfandel — a reference to Hackman’s favorite wine varietal. Staff recalled how she doted on her pets and took their care seriously.

“She was an excellent dog owner, excellent caretaker to those dogs,” Gruda said. “She really doted on them.”

One of the last times Arakawa was seen at the veterinary hospital was in late January when she came to pick up Zinna after a major surgery. Staff had instructed her to confine the dog to a crate to prevent excessive movement during recovery.

“She was friendly, dutiful,” Gruda said. “That’s how we make a living, with owners that care for their animals and see us consistently.”

Just recently, authorities admitted to an error in the investigation, adding new questions to the case. In response, Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya put forward a theory on what may have happened to Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 63.

New Mexico officials found Hackman, Arakawa, and one of their dogs dead in their home on February 26, 2025.

Detectives deemed the circumstances “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation” because the authorities discovered the front door unsecured and open.

Maintenance workers Jesse Kesler and Roland Lowe Begay, who reportedly hadn’t seen the couple in about two weeks, discovered them. Kesler, their personal contractor for 16 years, made the urgent 911 call.

Inside the home, the couple was unresponsive, a distressing sight that left him shaken. When deputies arrived, they observed a healthy dog roaming the property and another near Arakawa’s body. A third dog was found dead inside a bathroom closet, approximately 10 to 15 feet away from her.

However, new details later clarified the deceased animal’s identity. Early reports incorrectly stated that the dog was a German Shepherd.

It was later revealed to be Zinna, a 12-year-old reddish Australian Kelpie mix that had once trained in agility for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Joey Padilla, who took in the surviving dogs at Santa Fe Tails, confirmed that Zinna was found inside a closed crate.

Meanwhile, investigators also noted a displaced heater, an open pill bottle with pills scattered nearby, and Hackman’s body in a different room. As for Arakawa, she was discovered in the bathroom, lying on her right side near the countertop.

A black space heater was positioned close to her head, leading authorities to consider whether it had been knocked over during a sudden fall.

Arakawa’s body showed signs of decomposition, including facial bloating and mummification in her hands and feet, indicating she had been deceased for some time.

Meanwhile, Hackman was found fully clothed in a separate room off the kitchen. His sunglasses were beside him, raising suspicions that he may have collapsed unexpectedly.

Despite initial concerns about a possible gas leak, authorities ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning following “extensive testing” at the couple’s home.

The New Mexico Gas Company confirmed, “As of now, there are no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems associated to the pipes in and around the residence.”

With gas leaks ruled out, Santa Fe Fire Chief Moya offered insight into the possible timeframe of Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths.

Though he was not among the first responders, he pointed out that both bodies were in a similar state, suggesting they may have died around the same time. He also noted that the property was expansive and covered over 9,000 square feet with three separate structures.

The property’s layout presented challenges, but officials confirmed that Hackman, Arakawa, and their dog were all found within the same structure. Moya shared that a paramedic returning from the scene relayed this information.

In addition, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza disclosed that Hackman’s pacemaker last recorded activity on February 17, 2025. Investigators believe this was likely the day he passed, as his body was not discovered until nine days later.

Meanwhile, Moya stated that during his three years in the role, the fire department and emergency medical services had never been called to the couple’s residence before this incident.

He also confirmed that their involvement in the investigation ended on February 27, 2025, with the case being supervised by the sheriff’s department.

As the world comes to terms with the tragic deaths of Hackman and his wife, those who knew the couple remember them as devoted animal lovers who treated their dogs like family.

Friends described Hackman as a lifelong German Shepherd enthusiast, deeply committed to the well-being of his pets.

Their sudden deaths — along with the loss of one of their dogs — have left friends and the community stunned. Additionally, those close to them insist they would never endanger their pets.

Steff Smith, founder of the Southwest German Shepherd Society, described Hackman as a “softy” who teared up when adopting his first dog. He and Arakawa later adopted two more and remained loyal supporters of the organization.

The couple became increasingly private in recent years, retreating from social interactions. Friends who once visited regularly noticed they no longer welcomed guests. Even those closest to them had not seen the duo in years, though no one suspected anything was wrong.

Despite their seclusion, Arakawa kept in touch with a few people and exchanged emails in the weeks before her death without raising any concerns.

However, her routine calls to her 91-year-old mother in Hawaii suddenly stopped in October 2024, leaving family members worried. When authorities delivered the tragic news, her mother struggled to comprehend it.

As those close to Arakawa grappled with the loss, the film industry mourned Hackman’s passing, remembering his enduring legacy.

Morgan Freeman honored his “dear friend” at the recent Oscar Awards. He reflected on his influence, saying, “He received two Oscars but more importantly he won the hearts of film lovers all over the world.”

The couple’s deep bond, love for their animals, and shared passions are unlikely to be forgotten. Meanwhile, Hackman’s legacy will live on — both in the hearts of his loved ones and through the iconic performances that secured his place in cinematic history.