John Cogar ’71

STAFF SUPPORT: The staff of a Ukrainian clinic presented Cogar with a flag to thank him for his service treating abandoned dogs and cats as a volunteer veterinarian near the capital of Kyiv. (Photograph: Courtesy of John Cogar ’71)

John Cogar ’71 became a veterinarian to help animals in need. He never expected he’d be doing it in a war zone, in his 70s, more than 4,500 miles from his regular practice in Ray Brook, New York.

“It was the experience of a lifetime for sure,” he says of a two-week volunteer trip to Ukraine last October.

The trip was organized through Cogar’s connections as an Olympic-level bobsledder, a sport he undertook after graduation. As a member of the US team, he befriended former US luge coach Dmitry Feld, who eventually moved to nearby Lake Placid, site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, Cogar offered his help to the former coach, who had been raising money and support for Ukrainians. Feld told him that many of the nation’s pets needed medical attention because their owners had been killed, some had fled the country, and some were incapacitated. He and Feld flew to Ukraine to set up clinics.

From an operating room in Irpin, northwest of the capital city of Kyiv—about 50 miles from the front lines—he performed surgeries, treated injured animals, gave vaccinations, and conducted physical examinations. Over the course of 10 days, he performed roughly 80 operations, often working by flashlight when the electricity was knocked out.

Starting at Rochester as a mechanical engineering major, Cogar switched to biology. A standout running back in football and a sprinter in track, he was elected to the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996.

After graduating from Cornell Veterinary School, he bought a practice near his home in Saranac Lake and operated it until 2008. He now works at the business part time.

From his home this winter, Cogar says his work in Ukraine isn’t finished. “When you lose everything and have nothing left, your pets mean everything. This experience is something I’ll cherish forever.”

“I intend to go back and perform more surgeries when the war ends. I know they’ll be desperate for the help, and I’ll be there.”