Emmerdale: Belle Dingle says goodbye to her dog Piper
Emmerdale fans are speculating that Piper, Belle Dingle's dog, may still be alive despite the cruel actions of Tom King. As regular viewers will know, the villainous Tom (played by James Chase) intentionally injured Belle's cherished pet in a bid to manipulate her.
After Belle left The Woolpack, Tom rushed Piper to the vet, causing panic as he told Belle something was wrong with her dog.
Tom has been tormenting his wife Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) for months with violent outbursts and attempts to isolate her from her family and friends.
In a desperate attempt to regain control over Belle, Tom used Piper in his twisted scheme.
In Monday's episode (August 19), it seemed that Piper's fate had been sealed after Tom and Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) worked tirelessly through the night to save the dog.
Belle hurried to the vet to be with Piper, but Tom informed his estranged wife that their dog wouldn't survive, reports the Manchester Evening News.
In a heart-wrenching scene, Belle said an emotional farewell to Piper while Tom prepared a lethal injection. Belle exited the room and waited outside as Tom administered the fatal dose to Piper.
However, following Piper's tragic death, Belle appears to have seen through Tom's act, accusing him of being responsible for her injuries.
As Tom fervently denies his involvement, she accuses him: "Oh my God it was you. It was you wasn't it... you've killed her. You ran her over."
A massive argument ensues between the two, with Tom issuing threats towards Belle as she declares their marriage finished.
However, some Emmerdale viewers are sceptical that Tom has actually killed Piper and believe he is using the dog to manipulate Belle.
One viewer took to X to express their thoughts: "If Piper really is dead then clearly who wrote this has never had a dog, or has any empathy for dog lovers. Completely unnecessary story amongst the drivel they have turned out lately #emmerdale."
Another commented: "Stunning that #Emmerdale at 7:30 has just "shown" a dog being murdered. Even if Piper is probably still alive."
A third declared: "I don't think he's actually killed piper #emmerdale."
"I'm still 90% sure Piper's still alive, and we'll see her in 5 minutes #Emmerdale," added another viewer.
Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX