In a jaw-dropping twist on Emmerdale, it’s been revealed that Piper, Belle King’s beloved dog, is still alive, defying earlier fears of her demise. The soap had seemingly written off Piper as part of Tom King’s vengeful scheme against his estranged wife, Belle.

Earlier this week, it appeared as though Tom had deliberately run over Piper and then feigned finding the injured dog, only to manipulate Belle into believing it was an unfortunate accident. However, Belle soon discovered Tom’s deceit and reported him to the police.

In the August 21 episode, Tom took his scheming to a new level. While Belle was out, he sneaked into Dale Head with the intention of hacking into her computer. Frustrated to find that Belle had changed her password, Tom finally gained access to her laptop but encountered another obstacle—Belle had cleared her internet search history. Undeterred, Tom attempted to install spyware on the device before hastily leaving the scene. Belle’s return was marked by a subtle clue: Tom had knocked a magazine to the floor, which Lydia later noticed and repositioned without Belle realizing.

The tension escalates as Tom is shown watching Belle remotely through her laptop, where she searches for information on how to disclose domestic abuse. Concerned about Belle potentially going public with her allegations, Tom reached out to his lawyer friend Olly for legal advice.

Meanwhile, Belle, using Claire’s Law, sought information from the police about Tom’s history of domestic violence. Amidst this turmoil, Belle conducted a private funeral for Piper, placing the dog’s collar on her grave, believing Piper to be gone forever.

In a surprising turn, viewers witnessed Tom arranging for an unsuspecting couple to adopt Piper outside a tourist house. Will Belle uncover Tom’s devious plan? The soap had previously assured fans that Piper’s animal actor was perfectly fine during the intense scenes, adding another layer of intrigue to this gripping storyline.