A Soldier's Best Friend: Photographer Captures The Incredible Bond Between American Servicemen And Working Dogs On The Front-Line -- Daily Mail
Dogs, with their superior senses and unshakeable loyalty, have been used in warfare since ancient times.
The U.S. military had a force of roughly 2,500 working dogs at the height of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. And while it's tempting to imagine the friendships between military officers and their dogs, this is no man-and-pet scenario.
The dogs are regarded by the military as expendable pieces of equipment, to be replaced as needed.
For some marines and their dogs, though, the professional relationship turns into something much more after the team endures the horrors of war together.
National Geographic's June issue highlights some of the closest relationships to have survived the rigors of war, such as Jose Armenta and his German shepherd Zenit.
Armenta thought of Zenit as just another weapon in his arsenal - until he stepped on an IED and lost both legs below the knee and Zenit, as per protocol, was assigned to another marine.
'He was like my worn-out shield,' Armenta told National Geographic. 'Every scratch tells a story. And nothing felt right without him.'
