Both of the dogs are being held in a facility until they can be re-homed

HEARTBREAKING details of the final act of loyalty shown to Gene Hackman by his dogs even after his death have been revealed.

As emergency responders attended the actor’s address, they were soon met by his German Shepherd Bear and Akita-shepherd mix Nikita.

Couple with two German Shepherds.

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Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa pictured with their dogs in 2014Credit: PetFinder
Law enforcement officers outside Gene Hackman's home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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Law enforcement officials outside the home of the actor and his wifeCredit: AP
Woman sitting on the floor with her German Shepherd dog on a recliner.

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Betsy with the couple’s dog Zinna who was found dead near her in the bathroomCredit: Handout
Illustration of Gene Hackman and his wife's home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they were found dead, along with a map showing the location.

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They bounded up to crews, frantically barking before running off.

Initially, the team thought the dogs were being playful, but it was soon revealed that they were actually trying to lead the paramedics to Hackman’s body in their final act of loyalty to their owner.

The team had already found the body of 65-year-old Betsy Arakawa in the bathroom of the Santa Fe mansion but despite a 30-minute search of the property, they were unable to find the 95-year-old.

Thanks to the help of his dogs, Hackman’s body was located in the mudroom at the far end of the sprawling, 9,000-square-foot home.

Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya told USA Today: “They realised (the dog) was trying to say, ‘Hey, come over here! Come over here!’”

After leading the team to him, one of the dogs sat beside Hackman’s body.

Nikita was “skittish because of all the commotion” and refused to leave the sides of both of her owners, the authorities said.

Both dogs who are now in a boarding facility until the couple’s wills are read and they can be re homed are said to be “healthy”.

Hackman and Betsy’s third dog Zinna was found dead in a crate in the bathroom near the pianist’s body in a “mummified state”, according to cops.

The 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix had undergone a veterinary procedure in the days before Betsy’s death but it is not known what killed the dog.

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Hackman’s wife was found to have died seven days before the actor on February 11 from a rare rodent disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

Hantavirus spreads when exposed to rodents’ urine, droppings, and saliva, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hackman, who was suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s, was then alone in the house for days.

It is possible that he did not know of his wife’s body in the bathroom.

What is hantavirus?

GENE Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa died from the rare infectious disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hantavirus pathogens are mainly spread between rodents.

In very rare cases, the disease can be passed to humans and cause varied disease syndromes.

These include hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).

The CDC said: “Each hantavirus serotype has a specific rodent host species and is spread to people via aerosolised virus that is shed in urine, feces, and saliva, and less frequently by a bite from an infected host.”

Dr Sumaiya Shaikh, a Swedish scientist, tweeted: “The #Hantavirus first emerged in 1950s in the American-Korean war in Korea (Hantan river).

“It spreads from rat/mice if humans ingest their body fluids.

“Human-human transmission is rare. Please do not panic, unless you plan to eat rats.”

While hantavirus is rare, it carries a 38 per cent death rate according to the CDC.

He then died on February 18 when the  last signal from the actor’s pacemaker was recorded.

The medical examiner ruled his cause of death as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiac disease and noted that his Alzheimer’s will have played a “significant” role in his death.

He tested negative for hantavirus, Chief Medical Investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell revealed.

No one knew of the couple’s fates until February 26 when a neighborhood caretaker called 911 after finding them unresponsive at the property.

Investigators are awaiting cell phone records from the couple’s phones though it is “very unlikely” they will bring anything to light that authorities do not already know, Sheriff Adan Mendoza said in an update.

The couple was extremely private in their final years, living in a cul-de-sac of their gated community.

Hackman is survived by two daughters and a son from a previous marriage.

Gene Hackman’s family’s full statement

Gene Hackman’s family has spoken out on the actor’s death after he was found dead with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, in their Santa Fe home.

Hackman’s daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, and his granddaughter, Annie, released the statement.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy,” Elizabeth, Leslie, and Annie Hackman said.

“He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa.

“We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”

Gene Hackman and his family with their newly adopted dog.

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Gene Hackman adopted a dog while filming The Replacements in Baltimore in 1999
Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa in a portrait.

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Betsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman pictured together in Los Angeles in 1986Credit: Getty
Headshot of Gene Hackman smiling.

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Gene Hackman was a two-time Academy Award winner