Workers sort freshly-painted Easter eggs at the Lueck poultry farm on April 7, 2011 in Sommerkahl near Aschaffenburg, Germany. The farm is currently working 24-hour shifts to meet demand for its brightly-coloured eggs two weeks before Easter. (Photo by Ralph Orlowski/Getty Images)

Bex Hetherington exhibits a T-shirt at the Edinburgh College of Art degree show on June 8, 2011 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Students work will be exhibited across the campus buildings turning Edinburgh College of Art into the city's biggest gallery space. The work ranges from conceptual to commercial with inspirational influences as diverse and wide ranging as fashion photography, volcanoes, the crazy lady who put a cat in a bin, fairytales, the star system and serial killers. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

A gallery assistant holds a print of an Andy Warhol artwork estimated to fetch 1,500 GBP in Bonhams auction house on November 25, 2011 in London, England. The auction of prints of works ranging from old masters to contemporary artists takes place in London on November 29, 2011. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

A dog and its owner perform a routine in the main arena on Day three of Crufts at the Birmingham NEC Arena on March 10, 2012 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/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 Sloth Bear recently befriended a human family in Lakhapada village in India. While he was never domesticated, the sloth bear chose to bond with the family and become more than a pet, he was a member of the family.