Gene Hackman's Dead Dog Mistaken For His German Shepherd

The dog found dead alongside Hollywood actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa at the home wasn't a German Shepherd as authorities initially claimed, a new report has revealed. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office described the dog as "a deceased brown German Shepherd canine", which matched the description of the couple's dog, Bear, who is healthy and is currently at an animal facility.

Joey Padilla, the owner of the Santa Fe Tails pet care facility, revealed that Bear was perfectly healthy and survived along with the couple's second dog named Nikita. The dog who died was their 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mixed-breed named Zinna, The NY Post reported.

In an email statement, Ms Padilla said that Zinna was always attached to Betsy and called their relationship beautiful. She said that Zinna transformed from a returned shelter dog into an incredible companion under Betsy's hand, The NY Post reported.

She added, "Our deputies do not deal with canines on a daily basis and I cannot currently speak to the condition or state of the dog's body upon discovery."

According to a spokesman for the sheriff's office, Zinna was found in a kennel in a bathroom closet near Ms Arakawa, but no necropsy was performed on her. 

Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, were found dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the US last month. 

Mr Hackman's remains were found at the front door of the house, while Ms Arakawa's body was discovered on the bathroom countertop with an open prescription bottle and pills all over it.

The cause of Gene Hackman and his wife's deaths remains unknown but authorities believe the couple might have been dead for a while before their bodies were discovered.

Authorities have also retrieved personal items, including a monthly planner and two cell phones, from the home. The investigation is currently underway