Gene Hackman's dogs showed one last act of loyalty towards their owner

Paramedics had spent 30 minutes searching the house with no luck until the dogs’ intervention.

Actor Gene Hackman’s dogs were loyal to the end as they led emergency responders to the tragic scene it’s been revealed.

Two of the surviving pets, Bear, a German Shepherd, and Nikita, an Akita-shepherd mix, kept running up and barking at the emergency crew attending the actor's home, before running off.

At first they thought the dogs wanted to play before realising they were leading them to the mudroom where Hackman’s body lay.

Earlier paramedics had found the body of his wife Betsy Arakawa but had spent 30minutes searching the house for Gene with no luck until the dogs’ intervention, reports the Mirror.

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

Hackman was found in the mudroom which was in the far end of the house. A back door was propped open, allowing the dogs to go in and out.

It comes as the surviving dogs are currently in a state of "limbo" and cannot be rehomed until the couple's wills have been read. They are presently residing at a dog boarding facility in Santa Fe, New Mexico, after being rescued from the couple's home.

They will remain there indefinitely until it becomes clear what provisions - if any - Hackman made for the dogs following his death. It is yet to be determined whether any of Hackman's family will adopt the dogs, or if they will find a new home with another family.

This comes as distressing new details about the condition in which the dogs were found have come to light.

Police had previously described the two dogs as "healthy", while the remains of a third "mummified" dog were discovered in a bathroom closet near Betsy's body. It has since been revealed that the deceased dog was Zinna, a 12 year old Australian Kelpie mixed-breed.

While Bear, who was found near Betsy's body, was easily captured, Nikita was running around and appeared "skittish because of all the commotion".

In a tragic turn of events, authorities had to resort to setting up an overnight door trap for Nikita, the dog who refused to leave her deceased owners' side, after attempts with treats and coaxing failed. Both dogs were eventually taken to a boarding facility, where they remain.

The renowned actor Hackman and his classical pianist wife Betsy, 65, were discovered lifeless in different rooms of their Santa Fe home two weeks ago.

Betsy died of a rare respiratory disease around seven days before her husband. His Alzheimer’s disease led investigators to suspect he may have remained unaware his wife had died before later sadly passing away unable to raise the alarm.