Gene Hackman's Dogs Safe With Santa Fe Authorities

Gene Hackman's two dogs that were found alive when authorities searched his home are safe and in the care of local officials.

According to a sheriff's press release, Santa Fe County Animal Control is reportedly working with Hackman’s family to “ensure the safety of the two dogs.”

Gene and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, had three dogs -- one of which was found dead by deputies inside a bathroom closet. The German Shepherd was lying 10-15 feet away from Arakawa, who was also found deceased on the bathroom floor -- with prescription pills scattered nearby.

A spokesperson for the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office tells TMZ ... an autopsy has not been performed on the deceased dog yet, but testing has not been ruled out. That will depend on the findings from the autopsy reports for Gene and Betsy.

It will be a while before the results of Gene and Betsy's autopsies are revealed ... with sources telling us it’ll take 4 to 6 weeks for toxicology and other tests to be completed before the final report is issued.

As for the two surviving dogs ... the search warrant affidavit says deputies saw one of them running loose on the property, while the other healthy dog was found inside near Betsy's body.