Members of Les Gonfles dance company Didier Theron begin their performance in the district of La Paillade, Montpellier, France on July 28, 2020. (Photo by Guillaume Bonnefont/ZUMA Press/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Ameca, a humanoid robot developed by the British company Engineered Arts Digital, at the Re:publica trade fair in Berlin, Germany on May 28, 2024. (Photo by dts News Agency Germany/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

It's often said that pets and their owners can start to look alike, but these adorable photographs take the old mantra to a new extreme. They are the work of Svetlana Valyiskaya (27), from St Petersburg, who snaps pets in everyday poses in her spare time from her job as a commercial photographer. The vibrant costumes and scenes, which Svetlana designs herself, have made the photos a hit in her native Russia – and it's not hard to see why. She said: “I really love animals, they are loyal, faithful and true and always interesting to work with – plus they never criticise the photographs afterwards”. (Photo by Svetlana Valyiskaya/Mercury)

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 stands on an old train of Bolivian Railways Company from 1870-1900 at the train cemetery in Uyuni, Potosi, Bolivia on May 16, 2018. (Photo by David Mercado/Reuters)

The classical ballet company “Ardentia” performs in the street of Mexico City on traffic lights, in an effort to highlight the city's fine arts in public spaces in Mexico, September 8, 2018. (Photo by Carlos Jasso/Reuters)

A member of security forces takes part in a training session arranged by a security company in Tajoura suburb of Tripoli, Libya on February 10, 2021. (Photo by Hazem Ahmed/Reuters)

The world's biggest wild animal farmer, Carr Hartley of Rumuruti in Kenya, sells animals to zoos, circuses and film companies. (Photo by Maxim Ruston/BIPs/Getty Images). November 1956