- Gene Hackman died in February aged 95, along with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65
- Two of his dogs, Bear and Nikita, were found running free
- What has happened to them since has now been confirmed
When Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead, two of their dogs were found roaming free. Now it has been revealed what has happened to them.
The bodies of legendary actor Hackman, 95, and his wife, Arakawa, 65, were found by a caretaker at their Sanfa Fe home on February 26. Sadly, one of the couple’s dogs, Zinna, an Australian Shepherd aged 12, was also found dead at the scene. However, their other two dogs, Bear and Nikita, were discovered roaming free.
The causes of the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa have since been revealed. Arakawa died on February 11 of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome – a rare, but severe respiratory disease. Hackman passed away a week later of severe heart disease.
Gene Hackman dogs taken in
Following the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa, Bear, a seven-year-old German Shepherd, and Nikita, an Akita-Shepherd mix, were taken in by the couple’s friend, and the owner of Santa Fe Tails, a local pet care business, Joey Padilla.
He told Associated Press that he had taken the dogs in while he waited to find out what Arakawa’s wishes were for them.
The couple were known to be big dog lovers, and her dogs were “Betsy’s babies” according to Padilla. He also revealed that Zinna “was always attached to Betsy at the hip and it was a beautiful relationship.”
New homes
In a later statement. Padilla revealed that Bear and Nikita have now been rehomed, with one dog going to a new home locally, while the other has a new home in another state. While he didn’t say where they had gone, Padilla did say that the lawyer dealing with Hackman and Arakawa’s estate had approved the move.
In a statement, Padilla said: “We went through stringent efforts to ensure the best homes were found and the dogs have already begun settling into their new lives. It is our hope that everyone continues to wish them the best and honor their privacy so they can continue to heal.”
A representative for the estates of Hackman and Arakawa also confirmed to People that Bear and Nikita “have been placed in appropriate homes. Both are safe, healthy, and adjusting to their new environments.”
