Jeret Cooper of Vernon, British Columbia rides the horse Einstein Quest in the novice bareback event during the Calgary Stampede rodeo in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on July 11, 2022. (Photo by Todd Korol/Reuters)

A goat hops from student to student during a goat yoga class at the University of Tennessee on August 25, 2022 as part of welcome back week. The session was organised by Goat Yoga Nashville. (Photo by Matt Hamilton/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP Photo)

Waldo, a 6-year-old Tibetan Terrier belonging to Susan and Mike Leverette of Sebastian, competes in the third heat of the medium dogs division at the Hang 20 Surf Dog Classic at Carlin Park in Jupiter Saturday, August 29, 2015. “The waves are a little bigger than we are used to”, said Susan. (Photo by Bruce R. Bennett/The Palm Beach Post)

A bulldog dressed as Marilyn Monroe poses for a photograph during the annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade in the Manhattan borough of New York City, October 24, 2015. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Reuters)

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.