SANTA FE, March 6 -- Investigators initially misidentified a deceased dog while looking into the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, pianist Betsy Arakawa, according to a pet care expert.

According to The Associated Press, Hackman and Arakawa's German shepherd, Bear, and another dog, Nikita, survived, but their kelpie mix, Zinna, was the one that died, said Joey Padilla, who runs Santa Fe Tails pet care facility.

"The dog that died was always attached to Betsy at the hip and it was a beautiful relationship," Padilla said in an email statement.

Deputies first reported the deceased dog as a German shepherd but later corrected the mistake, Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Denise Avila confirmed.

Authorities discovered...