(L-R) Dustin Poirier punches Conor McGregor of Ireland in a lightweight fight during the UFC 257 event inside Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 23, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

A man rides his loaded tricycle next to three schoolgirls in Shanghai on December 11, 2015. (Photo by Johannes Eisele/AFP Photo)

Colombian rider Diana Carolina Penuela Martinez competes in the women's Elite Individual Time Trial cycling event during the UCI 2025 Road World Championships, in Kigali, on September 21, 2025. (Photo by Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP Photo)

Figure skater Alexandra Trusova of Team ROC practices during a training session at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China on February 19, 2022. (Photo by Valery Sharifulin/TASS)

An Aden civilian crouching in terror as British soldiers threaten him during Arabian demonstrations in Crater. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images). 1967

Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France perform during the ice dance skating event at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating final in Barcelona December 13, 2014. (Photo by Albert Gea/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 Ukrainian Army liaison officer Vira, 22, plays with her rat Malyi (Tiny) at her positions near a frontline, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on March 8, 2024. (Photo by Inna Varenytsia/Reuters)