The mystery around the survival of two of dogs has been revealed after a huge twist that saved their life.
The 95-year-old Oscar-winning legend and his wife 65, were found deceased alongside one of their three dogs in their $3.8 million Santa Fe home.
However two of the survived and were living alongside their owners mummified bodies in the home. It has emerged that they survived thanks to a doggy door.
The Hollywood couple's German Shepherd, named Bear, as well as their second dog, Nikita, survived thanks to the special door which allowed them to come and go in the home as they wished, while Hackman and Arakawa had laid for nine days before being found on February 28.
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It's believed, according to ABC News, that the door meant they also had access to food and water outside that kept them alive. When authorities discovered the bodies, one dog was next to them, while another was outside the home - and played a pivotal role in finding Hackman.
Fire Chief Brian Moya told USA Today that they were searching for his body for 30 minutes, until they realised the dog they thought was just being playful actually wanted to show them something. He told how the dog led them to a mudroom at the far end of the house, next to the kitchen, where Hackman's body was found.
"They realised (the dog) was trying to say, 'Hey, come over here! Come over here!'" Moya said. It appeared the Hollywood actor had taken a fall and was found with his cane and sunglasses nearby.
Moya said his body had shown signs of decomposition, including blackened hands, while his wife had died from hantavirus, a rare infectious disease carried by rodents that can be fateful and said she also "showed obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet," according to a search warrant . It is believed she died before Hackman - most likely a week prior.
Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner with an estimated net worth of $80million, just turned 95 in late January. , after retiring from acting in 2004.
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