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.

Demonstrators take part in a protest aimed at showing London's solidarity with the European Union following the recent EU referendum, inTrafalgar Square, central London, Britain June 28, 2016. (Photo by Dylan Martinez/Reuters)

This photograph taken during a government organised media tour shows people in traditional costume standing in Potala Palace Square as the Potala Palace – classified as a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1994 – is seen in the background in the regional capital Lhasa, in China's Tibet Autonomous Region, on June 1, 2021. (Photo by Hector Retamal/AFP Photo)

Children attend a war safety awareness class conducted by civil defence members, in the rebel-controlled area of Maaret al-Numan town in Idlib province, Syria May 14, 2016. (Photo by Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)

A photograph made available on 30 September 2016 showing wind turbines at the site of the highest wind park in Europe at the Griessee, near the Nufenenpass in the Swiss south Alpes, Valais, Switzerland, on 23 September 2016. The four wind turbines of this wind park were developed by the company SwissWinds GmbH and are inaugurated on, 30 September 2016. (Photo by Olivier Maire/EPA)

A worker caresses a donkey at the Retired Animals Farm in Turkey's Bursa on October 01, 2020. Animal Rights Federation in Turkey (HAYTAP) established a “Retired Animals Farm” in Bursa for animals that were tortured, thrown out by their owners, injured and in need of assistance for similar reasons. Built in the neighborhood of Baskoy in Nilufer district after long term efforts, the farm provides a home to animals of many species, such as horse, donkey, cow, sheep, chicken from all around Turkey. The farm project receives support from various institutions and organizations. (Photo by Sergen Sezgin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A protester reacts during a rally against the government's restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Berlin, Germany, August 29, 2020. (Photo by Christian Mang/Reuters)

Spanish flamenco dancer Salome Ramirez performs in the show “Authentic Flamenco”, the show of the Teatro Real in Madrid, at the Sao Pedro theater in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 14 December 2022. After a successful tour in the United States and India, the show has arrived in the country of samba and carnivals, this time by the dancer Eduardo Guerrero and his work “Faro”. (Photo by Isaac Fontana/EPA/EFE/Rex Features/Shutterstock)