Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s two surviving dogs have been separated in the wake of the couple’s tragic deaths.
Joey Padilla, the owner of dog day care center Santa Fe Tails, told the Daily Mail on Tuesday that Bear, a German shepherd, and Nikita, an Akita-shepherd mix, have been sent to new homes.
Padilla said he dropped off one of the dogs out of the state, while the other is in a local home.
The dog trainer couldn’t reveal where the pets ended up, but he did confirm that Hackman and Arakawa’s estate lawyer signed off on the decision.
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“It is with great joy that, with the consent of the estate attorney, I and my staff at Santa Fe Tails have successfully found homes for the Hackmans’ surviving dogs, Bear and Nikita,” Padilla said in a statement, per the Daily Mail.
“We went through stringent efforts to ensure the best homes were found and the dogs have already begun settling into their new lives,” he continued. “We are all thankful for the concern and well wishes Bear and Nikita have received during their transition.”
Padilla’s statement added, “It is our hope that everyone continues to wish them the best and honor their privacy so they can continue to heal.”
A personal representative for the estates also released a comment to People. “In response to numerous concerned inquiries about the Hackmans’ dogs, both Bear and Nikita have been placed in appropriate homes,” the statement read. “Both are safe, healthy and adjusting to their new environments.”
Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were found in their New Mexico home on Feb. 26 by maintenance workers who called 911.
Officials revealed that Hackman died around Feb. 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 from hantavirus, a flu-like illness spread mainly by rodent feces that attacks the lungs.
Earlier this week, however, Dr. Josiah Child — who runs Cloudberry Health in New Mexico — claimed the former classical pianist contacted his clinic on Feb. 12 — one day after the medical examiner’s conclusion that she died on Feb. 11. Child claimed Arakawa called to schedule an appointment for Feb. 12 for an issue unrelated to respiratory problems.
“Mrs. Hackman didn’t die on February 11 because she called my clinic on February 12,” Child told the Daily Mail. “She’d called me a couple of weeks before her death to ask about getting an echocardiogram [heart scan] for her husband.”
The couple’s third dog, Zinna — a 12-year-old Australian kelpie mix — was found dead inside a locked crate. She died of dehydration and starvation, and her body was partially mummified, veterinarians concluded.
Meanwhile, Bear and Nikita were left wandering around the couple’s Santa Fe property for days before help arrived. The dogs led first responders to Hackman’s dead body after police arrived.
“Gene and Betsy had so much love for her dogs,” Padilla told the Daily Mail. “There was nothing they would not do for those dogs.”
Padilla explained that he was called to the couple’s house after their bodies were discovered. “It’s absolutely devastating,” he said.
“There were officers everything, and there was obviously a lot of chaos in Nikita’s mind,” Padilla added about the scene at the house when he arrived. “She was running around the property, scared. She didn’t know what to do. I tried luring her with treats, but it didn’t work.”
Padilla said he left a cage with a trap that Nikita was eventually caught in. He then took both Nikita and Bear to Santa Fe Tails, where they stayed until they were moved to their new homes.