Gene Hackman’s Dog Died of Dehydration After His and Wife’s Deaths

Autopsy reveals the family dog, Zinna, likely succumbed to starvation and dehydration after being confined without access to food or water.

Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found deceased in their New Mexico home in late February 2025, having died of natural causes days apart.
An autopsy determined their dog, Zinna, died from dehydration and starvation after being confined in a bathroom without food or water.
Hackman, aged 95, likely passed from a heart condition and advanced Alzheimer’s, while Arakawa, 65, died earlier from a hantavirus infection.
Two other family dogs survived the incident as they had access to the outdoors and are now under the care of a foster home.
Zinna, a 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix, was a decorated agility competitor and outlived her owners by several days before succumbing to her conditions.