SANTA FE, N.M. — Gene Hackman’s late wife, Betsy Arakawa, was “super protective” of him, according to the man who watched and trained their three dogs.
Joey Padilla, the owner of Santa Fe Tails, told Fox News Digital that Arakawa always made sure to look out for her movie star husband.
“You know, after COVID, she was very particular about bringing people around Gene. So, she was super protective,” Padilla said.
Arakawa ran most of the errands, according to Padilla. She would bring her three dogs with her everywhere she went, even out to dinner.
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“These dogs were attached to Betsy. Anytime Betsy had an errand to do, they went with her. These dogs loved going on a ride in the car with Betsy, and it didn’t matter if it was going to the store, even when we would go to dinner. We’d go to dinner and the dogs would be in the car. They were very much attached to Betsy,” Padilla explained.
Padilla had been working with Hackman and Arakawa, training and watching their dogs, for a decade. He told Fox News Digital that it had been at least a month, maybe longer, since he last saw Arakawa.
“It’s hard to explain and encompass how much these dogs meant to these people,” he said.
Ted Williams, a former homicide detective, told Fox News Digital that since Hackman and Arakawa were so close to their animals, if an intruder came into their home, the three dogs would have become protective.
“Here’s what we know: That the Hackmans were very close to their three dogs, and if someone would have come in and there would have been some signs of foul play, I think those dogs would have done or acted in a defensive manner.
“There’s absolutely nothing in the investigation that says that these two individuals acted in a defensive manner of, let’s say, attacking an intruder,” Williams said.
Padilla didn’t want to speculate about what happened to the couple, or their dog that died, since their deaths are part of an ongoing investigation.
However, he said Arakawa would never put her animals in harms’ way.
WATCH: Investigators rule out carbon monoxide in deaths of Gene Hackman, wife
“I want to reiterate there is nothing that Betsy wouldn’t do for those three dogs. In my opinion, there is no way that dog was up on purpose or without a purpose. There was a reason. It just breaks my heart about Zinna. Zinna would not leave Betsy’s side, they were attached to the hip. It was a pretty phenomenal connection,” he said.
Hackman and Arakawa owned three dogs. The oldest, Zinfandel, went by Zinna and was a mixed breed. She was the couple’s dog that died. She was 12.
The couple also owned two German shepherds: Bear, 4, and Nikita, 7.
During his interview with Fox News Digital, Padilla described the challenging way one of the two surviving dogs had to be rescued. He explained that it was particularly hard for Nikita.
“She was really difficult. We were trying to get her, and I was using treats, because she was really hungry, so I was giving her treats. It was just too many people. Unfortunately, the animal services people had to utilize a trap, and we were able to trap her and I picked her up the next day,” Padilla said.
Padilla explained that Arakawa and Hackman were longtime animal lovers and donated to the community.
“They donated a lot to the humane society. They would go above and beyond. For Santa Fe Tails, one thing that Betsy would do for Christmas, she would buy the entire staff a Christmas dinner. We’re open 365 days, and we have staff members that are here with the dogs, and she would get a banquet of food for the employees,” he said.
“They were so kind and generous,” Padilla continued.
Almost a week after Hackman and Arakawa were found dead inside their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home, authorities continue to piece together a possible timeline to explain the couple’s mysterious deaths; the couple tested negative for carbon monoxide.
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Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, along with one of their dogs were found dead inside their home on Feb. 26. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department deemed the deaths “suspicious” and began an investigation.
While Hackman and Arakawa’s cause of deaths have not been released, authorities believe both had been dead for over a week before their bodies were discovered.
Arakawa was found in the bathroom of the couple’s home, lying on the floor. A space heater was on the floor next to her, according to the search warrant affidavit. Officers described the pianist as showing “obvious signs of death,” including bloating and mummification.
Officers found Hackman in the couple’s mudroom. “The Firm” star seemed to have “suddenly fallen,” Santa Fe County Deputy Joshua Thomas wrote in the search warrant affidavit. Hackman had a cane with him and sunglasses near his head.
Hackman also showed similar “obvious signs of death,” like his wife.
The timeline of events leading up to the discovery of Hackman and Arakawa remains hazy as little is known about the couple’s “reclusive” lifestyle before their mysterious deaths.
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“One of the things is, in an investigation we try to piece the timeline together, usually before the event happens, and that gives us a lot of information,” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza admitted during a press conference Friday. “But in this case, it seems like we’re doing a reverse timeline.”
“We’re doing a timeline from the time of death and the autopsy and the results. We’re going to start working our way backwards,” he added. “We’re going to do both and then hopefully make a determination as to what may have happened to both of the individuals.”
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.
