Parent hedgehogs Maria, left, and Gosha, 2nd right, eat with their albino babies in a private Zoo in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, August 22, 2013. Three rare albino hedgehog babies, born on the same day as Britain's new prince, have moved into a miniature castle at a Moscow petting zoo. The three are named after the Prince of Cambridge – George, Alexander and Louis. On Thursday, when they turned one month old, they were shown their new home at the All-Russia Exhibition Center. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr./AP Photo)

This aerial picture taken on June 6, 2016, shows the scene of a collision between a freight train and a passengers train on their way between Liege and Namur, in Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse, Eastern Belgium. Investigators worked through the wreckage of a high speed train crash in eastern Belgium on Monday that killed at least three people and injured nine others. A fast-moving passenger train late Sunday slammed violently into the back of a slow-moving freight train that was travelling on the same track for reasons that remain unexplained. (Photo by Laurie Dieffembacq/AFP Photo)

A 10-year-old pet goldfish named George undergoes veterinarian Tristan Rich's scalpel to remove a life-threatening head tumor in this handout picture taken September 11, 2014 and provided to Reuters by the Lort Smith Animal Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. In a 45-minute long procedure described by Rich as “fiddly”, the fish was sedated by water laced with anaesthetic, the tumour removed and the wound sealed with tissue glue followed by antibiotics and painkillers. (Photo by Reuters/Lort Smith Animal Hospital)

Pinot noir vineyards in the famed Sta. Rita Hills AVA turn a vivid red, orange, and yellow, signaling the end of the grape harvest and approach of winter as viewed on November 26, 2023, near Buellton, California. Following the notoriety from the Academy Award-winning film Sideways, this buccolic farming region north of Santa Barbara has become a popular Wine Country stop for global and domestic tourists traveling between San Francisco and Los Angeles. (Photo by George Rose/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.

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)

A preparatory model of the Imperial State Crown of India worn in 1911 by King George V stands next to original ledgers dating from 1735 in Garrard's flagship store in Mayfair on April 6, 2011 in London, England. Garrard is the world's oldest jewellers having been founded by George Wickes in 1735 and soon after appointed as goldsmith to the Prince of Wales. For over 160 years Garrard held the title of Crown Jeweller, bestowed by Queen Victoria in 1843, Garrard have served six successive monarchs. They have produced several royal crowns as well as the engagement ring presented to Kate Middleton by Prince William and formerly Princess Diana's engagement ring. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)