When Archie the black Labrador went missing, his family’s world stopped. For seven long days, they searched everywhere… until hope turned into a miracle.
Johannesburg, South Africa (11 August 2025) – Sometimes, hope is all you have. And for seven long days, that’s what kept a Johannesburg family, and an entire community, searching for their beloved black Labrador, Archie.
On the 1st of August, Archie vanished. Kayla (Archie’s mom), her family and her entire community scoured every possible place. High and low. Day and night. Neighbours joined in. The entire complex became a search party. Even social media was set alight with concern… but Archie was nowhere to be seen.
Until the 7th of August.
A maintenance team, about to close up a manhole, spotted something. Down in the darkness, tired eyes looked back at them. It was Archie.
“When they found him, he was barely clinging to life,” Kayla tells me, speaking from the Fourways Vet Hospital on 11 August.
You can hear the relief in her voice.
“He is doing so much better, he walked on all fours today. He’s a completely different dog to how we found him last week.”
The days before that were heartbreaking. Kayla still doesn’t know where he had been before he ended up in the manhole.
“We never lost hope. In fact, the entire complex spent days and nights looking for Archie,” she says.
When they finally got to him, he was hypothermic, severely dehydrated and near starvation. They feared he had broken his leg.
“We didn’t know what was going on. He may have been stuck in the hole the entire time. But we didn’t see him there. And when he was eventually found, his leg looked broken. The incredible doctors at Fourways Vet Hospital confirmed that it wasn’t. And started treating him for everything else, to save him.”
And save him they did.
“He was immediately rushed here, where they have been meticulously looking after him,” Kayla says.
“Fourways Vet Hospital have been absolutely incredible! They are all so compassionate, loving, and have been kind to the family and with him.”
Archie’s recovery will take time. There’s a possibility he may lose his tail and vet costs are overwhelming, even with pet insurance. But the kindness pouring in has been remarkable.
“People have been so kind. They have all been donating. Even the receptionists at the Vet have contributed towards him.”
Kayla is deeply moved by the outpouring of support.
“From the bottom of my heart, Archie and I say thank you. He knows all about everyone helping him, I was telling him.”
Right now, Archie is still receiving around-the-clock care. He’s on strong antibiotics and having his wounds cleaned multiple times a day. There’s still infection to fight, pain to manage and strength to rebuild. But if there’s one thing Archie’s story proves, it’s that love and community can pull even the most lost soul out of the dark.
And that sometimes, miracles really do happen, especially when an entire community refuses to give up.
To donate to Archie, please connect with Kayla Marshall on email (Kayla6marshall@gmail.com) or donate to:
Kayla Marshall
Discovery bank
Account number: 16116000690
Branch: 679000
by 