How Did Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's Dog Die? Police Share Update

"Given the timelines presented," she told reporters, "it is a possibility."

Officials also noted that given Hackman's "advanced state" of Alzheimer's, a neurodegenerative brain disorder, it was "quite possible that he was not aware" of his surroundings—including that Arakawa had died or that Zinna was in a crate.

According to authorities, Zinna had also received an unspecified medical treatment prior to Hackman and Arakawa's passing.

"We know from our investigation that on February 9, 2025, she picked up Zinna from Gruda Veterinary Hospital," Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza shared at the press conference. "There was a procedure that was done with the

dog, which may explain why the dog was in a crate at the residence."

Necropsy results for Zinna are pending, per Mendoza.

However, it is highly unlikely that Zinna died from the same disease that killed Arakawa, according to officials. As Phipps put it, "Dogs do not get sick from hantavirus."

"These viruses are zoonotic," she noted, "meaning they are transmitted from animals to humans."

Phipps added that the risk of exposure in Hackman and Arakawa's home was "low, similar to other well-maintained houses in New Mexico," but that investigators did "identify signs of rodent entry" in other structures on their property.

"Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a rare disease caused by hantaviruses, but a small number of human infections are found every year in New Mexico," she said. "This is a serious disease."

For a look back at Hackman and Arakawa through the years, keep reading...