Emmerdale dog Piper's return 'sealed' after Tom King arrest - and fans are over the moon

Fans are predicting the imminent return of Emmerdale's beloved dog, Piper.

The pup vanished from the Dales a few months ago after Tom King (James Chase) hatched a cruel plan to convince his wife Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) that she had died. As viewers will remember, Tom had been mistreating Belle for months.

In disturbing scenes, he struck her dog Piper with his car. Tom later pretended that he had found the pup on the side of the road. He then "did whatever he could" to save Piper, but delivered the devastating news to Belle that the dog was dead.

However, this was not 'true', and Piper is actually alive. After a memorial for the dog, Tom was seen visiting a house outside the village and handed over a living Piper to a couple, reports Leeds Live.

He lied to them, saying her owner wasn't a nice person and Piper would be better off with them. As the weeks and months have passed, Belle remains completely oblivious that her dog is actually alive.

Moreover, this week in the Dales, Tom finally received his comeuppance. DS Foy (Robert Cavanah) arrived in the village and asked Tom to accompany him to the station, before unveiling photographic evidence retrieved from his tablet.

The photos showed Belle using the bathroom and asleep. A shocked Tom tried to weave more lies, claiming he could explain everything. But DS Foy wasn't buying it, so he took him away to be charged, much to the delight of soap fans.

As speculation mounts over Tom's impending downfall in Emmerdale, fans are buzzing with the possibility of a return for the much-loved dog Piper. On an Emmerdale Facebook fan group, one viewer excitedly posted: "We just need Piper back now!"

Eager fans flocked to the comments section to share their predictions about Piper's potential return. One person speculated: "Bet she's back for Christmas." Another chimed in with agreement: "Maybe the couple who have Piper will hear about Tom being arrested and contact the police."

A different fan pondered a more uplifting storyline: "Maybe, just maybe... It will be a happy Christmas in Emmerdale for once and instead of deaths and the usual gloom.. Belle gets Piper back and the Dingles finally have a happy ending."

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm

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