Malibu CA: "Nakota", a search and rescue dog of Nick and Marcy Razum (long time Los Angeles County Sheriff SAR team members) passed away peacefully in her sleep early Saturday morning at home. After a day enjoying playing in the backyard, smelling things that we’ll never know exist as humans, spending the late afternoon laying on the grass in the front yard soaking up the late afternoon sunshine, and being loved and cared for by her family. “Kota” had a heart problem, and in the last weeks, was cared for by specialists to do the best that can be done. Kota had a big heart. Everyone knew that due to the incredible love she had for her family and for working.
About a week away from her 14th birthday, Kota enjoyed a long and successful working career and wonderful home life. Purchased at only a few months old by Marcy Razum, Kota was initially trained and certified as a trailing dog for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the State-wide California Rescue Dog Association (CARDA). Kota was able to follow a specific person’s human scent trail like a bloodhound, as well as trained and certified for human remains detection. In her mid-career, she was trained and State-certified as a narcotics detection dog. She worked all over California searching schools, Oil rigs offshore, refineries, boats, buildings, cars and houses. Kota was flown in large and small aircraft, helicopters, traveled by boats to her various search locations, and loved people coming up to her for affection. Due to her solid demeanor and loving personality, she was great ambassador for all working dogs.
Kota worked hundreds of searches and had numerous finds spreading all the categories for which she was trained. She worked very publicized searches such as the Sylmar “Sayre Fire” where about 500 mobile homes were burned, the Metrolink Train tragedy in Chatsworth, but also worked with the Sheriff’s Detective Bureau on some very clandestine assignments. Kota located large amounts of illicit narcotics and hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug-related currency.
In her off-duty hours, Kota had a passion for swimming, the hose, sprinkler, or any form of water. She loved a tennis ball (and would quickly pop them with her jaws), tug toy, or chew bone, and would sleep with one in her mouth. She loved her canine and feline family at home, but adored her human family. Kota helped raise Daniel, the Razum's other SAR canine and she also helped raise and train numerous other dogs and cats, and had the perfect calm authoritative energy that would bring peace to insecure dogs at canine trainings or at home.
Kota was an amazing animal, had an amazing life and career, and will be greatly missed by all that knew her. The Malibu Search and Rescue team wants to praise Kota for all of its efforts over a long SAR career and thank her for her devotion to duty and love of life.
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