A runner in fancy dress attempts a record in the TCS London Marathon on Sunday, April 27, 2025. (Photo by John Sibley/Action Images via Reuters)

Neutral athletes Mayya Doroshko and Tatiana Gayday compete in the women's duet technical preliminary of artistic swimming at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, Friday, July 18, 2025. (Photo by Vincent Thian/AP Photo)

On the morning of the October 4, 2025, the second day of the Chuseok holiday, a lenticular cloud resembling an unidentified flying object (UFO) appeared in the northeastern sky as seen from the Healing Forest in Hogun-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, creating a spectacular sight. (Photo by Newsis)

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.

Arrow sports his new elastic booties at a PetSmart in Tempe, Ariz. on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Phoenix radio station KSLX handed out the protective coverings to protect dogs' paws from the hot pavement, as temperatures in Phoenix are forecasted to hit 120 degrees (48°C). (Photo by Angie Wang/AP Photo)

(L-R) Madelaine Petsch, Julia Fox, Kacey Musgraves, Kim Petras and Aquaria attend the Moschino Prefall 2020 Runway Show front row at New York Transit Museum on December 09, 2019 in Brooklyn City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Moschino)

Itzhak de Laat of Team Netherlands crashes during the Men's 500m Heats on day seven of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 11, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Toby Melville/Reuters)