A Montecito, California family has been reunited with their beloved cat who went missing during the January 2018 mudslide that killed more than 20 people. Diamond is now home with her family 475 days after the Montecito Mudslide.
Noelle Strogoff and her children, 10-year-old Alexander and 7-year-old twins Benjamin and Violet had very little time to evacuate their home when warnings came in about the deadly storm headed their way. They were unable to round up Diamond and their other cat Huguette before fleeing the home. When they returned home a few days later the cats were gone.
In an interview with KEYT News, Noelle stated
“I had no idea that what happened was going to happen and assumed they would be fine. When we got back, we couldn’t find them.”
It took a year to repair damage to their property. The Strogoff family was able to move back in January 2019. Noelle was talking with one of the repairmen on Monday when the topic of the two missing cats came up in conversation. Twenty minutes later Noelle was following the worker to his home.
Diamond had lived off of food the worker and other kind strangers had left. All this time, Diamond was only a few blocks from home. Huguette hasn’t been found yet but the family is hopeful since Diamond survived.
“Don’t give up, keep looking, just keep talking to people and expressing what it is you are looking for.”
Anyone who discovers a new pet who turns up suddenly should try to take a photo of the pet and post it to social media. Be sure to share the photo and location found on the local Humane Society or shelter page.
Have any found pets checked for a microchipped. Don’t give up home. Miracles happen every day, especially when a lost animal is found alive after months or years.
Two children killed in the mudslide have yet to be found. Residents are asked to keep an eye out for the remains of 2-year-old Lydia Sutthithepa and 17-year-old Jack Cantin.
