Truly man’s best friend.
Gene Hackman’s dogs remained loyal to him through death, shepherding first responders to the legendary actor’s body where he was found dead inside his New Mexico home in February.
Bear and Nikita, the two surviving dogs Hackman shared with wife Betsy Arakawa, were left wandering around the couple’s Santa Fe property for days before help arrived.
First responders had been at the couple’s home for nearly half an hour by the time they noticed strange behavior from the canines, according to USA Today.
One of the dogs had continuously barked at the emergency workers before running away towards the other end of the house.
They first believed the eager dog wanted to play.
“They realized (the dog) was trying to say, ‘Hey, come over here! Come over here!’” Santa Fe Fire Chief Bryan Moya told the outlet.
The dog — which is unclear if it was Bear or Nikita — led the charge to a mudroom where Hackman was discovered lying on the ground, near his cane and sunglasses.
A backdoor had been left open, which allowed the dogs to enter and exit the home.
Besides Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies, the home was noted as being clean and organized with zero signs of gaseous hazards that would have contributed to the deaths.
The couple’s third dog, Zinna – a 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix – was found dead inside a locked crate.
Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 64, were found on Feb. 26 by maintenance workers who called 911.
Hackman’s body, like Arakawa’s, displayed signs of decomposing.
Officials revealed that Hackman died around February 18, the last day his pacemaker recorded any data.
He died from heart disease with advanced Alzheimer’s disease being a contributing factor.
Arakawa is believed to have died on Feb. 11, the day she was last seen in public and a week before her husband.
She died from Hantavirus, a flu-like illness spread mainly by rodent feces that attacks the lungs
Citing Hackman’s Alzheimers, Santa Fe County Medical Examiner Heather Jarrell noted, “It is quite possible he was not aware that she was deceased.”
The actor “had not eaten recently” before passing away as there was “no food in his stomach,” Jarrell added, though she noted that his body showed no “evidence of dehydration.”
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