A cow carrying a bell and autumn flowers headgear walks by in front of spectators at the traditional cattle show in Schwellbrunn, Switzerland, 26 September 2022. The traditional show in the Appenzell region is held annually in autumn, when local farmers return from the alp with their groomed and cleaned cows to present them on a show ground. “The most beautiful and best performing cows are awarded prizes”, the Appenzellerland tourism office adds on their website. (Photo by Gian Ehrenzeller/EPA/EFE)

An Indonesian man rides two bulls at a traditional bull racing event, locally called "Karapan Sapi Brujul" in Probolinggo on May 21, 2023. (Photo by Juni Kriswanto/AFP Photo)

Motorcycle fans dressed as Santa Claus ride near Charlottenburg Palace (Schloss Charlottenburg)during the 25th annual “Santa Claus On Road” Berlin Bike Tour, to deliver gifts to the needy on December 10, 2022 in Berlin, Germany. Some 200 riders with vehicles decorated with lights and mini-Christmas trees took part in the annual event on its 25 year. Anyone may ride along, whether on motorcycle, trike or quad, as long as the vehicle is decorated accordingly. (Photo by Omer Messinger/Getty Images)

Rescue personnel carry their search dogs on their shoulders back to rest after searching for bodies at the site of a landslide that ripped through Las Tejerias, Venezuela, Tuesday, October 11, 2022. (Photo by Matias Delacroix/AP Photo)

Spanish lamb march during a military parade on the national holiday known as “Hispanidad” or Hispanic Day in Madrid, Spain on October 12, 2022. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A man looks at a photograph by French photographer Robert Doisneau entitled “The Fate Line: Pablo Picasso at Vallauris, 1952” during the presentation of the photo-exhibition “Picasso, photographer's gaze”, on June 5, 2019 at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona. (Photo by Lluis Gene/AFP Photo)

Throughout the course of the long war in Afghanistan, Coalition troops have relied on thousands of military working dogs to help keep them safe, and make their jobs easier. The dogs are trained to detect explosives, to find illegal drugs, to search for missing comrades, or target enemy combatants. Not only are they active on the front lines, but behind the lines they serve as therapy dogs, service dogs, and loyal companions. They also share the same risks as the ground troops, suffering injuries and sometimes death on the battlefields. Gathered here are images of these dogs and their handlers in Afghanistan and back home, from over the past several years, part of the ongoing series here on Afghanistan.

A zoo performer smiles as he puts his head between the jaws of a crocodile during a performance for tourists at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo, in Chonburi province, east of Bangkok,Thailand, June 7, 2016. (Photo by Chaiwat Subprasom/Reuters)