A guest arrives before the Blumarine show during Milan Fashion Week Spring 2019 in Milan, Italy, September 21, 2018. (Photo by Stefano Rellandini/Reuters)

A Pug sleeps during the American Kennel Club's (AKC) Meet the Breeds event in New York, U.S., January 29, 2023. (Photo by Jeenah Moon/Reuters)

Rachel Hanson, 27 from Chicago, Illinois at the Bellagio Fountain Club at the Bellagio hotel and casino during the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 18, 2023. (Photo by Bridget Bennett/The Washington Post)

A protester clashes with riot police officers during a protest against the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2022, near the Democracy Monument in Bangkok, Thailand on November 18, 2022. (Photo by Tanat Chayaphattharitthee/Reuters)

American actress Anya Taylor-Joy attends the Australian premiere of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” on May 02, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

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 man takes a picture of the first A380 for All Nippon Airways (ANA) during its delivery ceremony at the Airbus delivery center in Colomiers near Toulouse, France, March 20, 2019. (Photo by Regis Duvignau/Reuters)

A reveller from Salgueiro performs during the second night of the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on February 13, 2018. (Photo by Sergio Moraes/Reuters)