A Sacramento couple is hoping their storm-related bad luck streak is over.
On Jan. 8, Niki Goffard and Juan Lao were some of the midtown residents hit hardest by the severe weather that uprooted trees, downed power lines, and crushed homes.
It all began with a tree falling onto their house, which led to a weeks-long search for their new puppy — 3-month-old George.
“We picked up George from the breeder that very morning, so he didn’t even spend a full 24 hours in the house before the tree hit,” Lao said. “I was sitting in the window with the wind going 70 mph and that was that really, really stormy night. I saw the tree fall on the neighbor’s house, five seconds later the tree came right at us.”
A month later, the couple returned to their crushed house with friends to clean out their water-damaged furniture and other belongings to make way for the demolition of their home. George was there, and the last they remembered he was playing with their older dog
“He is a dog that always wants to be by us. We’re constantly stepping on him, then all of a sudden he’s nowhere to be found,” Goffard said.
The couple says a neighbor’s surveillance camera shows someone did, however, come across George and took him. They searched for nearly three weeks, and they had all but given up hope until Sacramento Police called over the weekend.
“The police car pulled up, and we all started running. And sure enough, it was George, I could tell because his tongue was sticking out,”
It was a happy ending to one part of their saga. Their storm ordeal, however, is far from over. They expect will be more than a year before they can return to their home.
