EMMERDALE bosses have been forced to defend its animal cruelty storyline. Tom King ( James Chase ) recently ran over wife Belle's ( Eden Taylor-Draper ) dog, Piper. 8 Emmerdale bosses defended the latest animal cruelty storyline with a photoshoot Credit: Instagram 8 James Chase and Eden Taylor-Draper put the horrific scenes behind them as they glammed up Credit: Instagram 8 Nearly 300 fans complained to Ofcom when Tom ran over Belle's dog Piper Credit: ITV This was in a misguided effort to force her to come back after she attempted to end their marriage.
At his veterinary surgery, the little canine companion seemed to be in terrible shape after the incident , and Belle thought she had to put the dog down. She was left absolutely devastated by the death of her beloved pal , and remained adamant that Tom killed their pet on purpose. However, it was later revealed that it was a similar dog that died, and in reality, Piper was very much alive.
READ MORE ON EMMERDALE dales drama Emmerdale resident forced to quit the Dales after shock assault emmerwail Emmerdale fans rage as they slam bosses for ruining iconic soap family But sticking to his evil ways , Tom gave away the dog to another couple as revenge. Hundreds of fans made official complaints about the storyline as they slammed the depiction of animal cruelty. 282 fans previously lodged complaints to the industry watchdog Ofcom.
Taking to X - formerly known as Twitter - one fan fumed: "I am glad piper isn’t dead , but that still doesn’t excuse #Emmerdale making us all think she was dead. I also still don’t agree with the scenes they aired in last week’s episodes no animal should be harmed and it can be very triggering for some people." Most read in Soaps dales drama Emmerdale resident forced to quit the Dales after shock assault cobbles arrival Corrie cast Doctors actor in storyline as Joel Deering’s crimes exposed soap heartache Neighbours fans stunned as TV legend Toadie is 'set to die' in tragic scenes emmerwail Emmerdale fans rage as they slam bosses for ruining iconic soap family A second user angrily replied: "Emmerdale is a disgrace to soaps .
" "My daughter was upset about Piper," stated a third fan. Emmerdale bombshell as Tom King reveals truth about Piper the dog's death And a fourth added: "I want to punch Tom straight in the face followed by an uppercut and the sharpest right foot to the b******s.!! Poor Piper.
.. who wrote this f**??" However, the soap has defended the storyline as it took to its official Instagram page.
In one post, the two actors can be seen in a glamorous photoshoot as they posed with the adorable pup to promote their work. Both James, 28, and Eden, 26, were all smiles in a behind-the-scenes video as they glammed up for the session in the studio. Most complained about soap storylines Over the years, all three of the main soaps have featured plots that have had even die-hard fans reaching for their phones and laptops so they can get in touch with Ofcom and complain .
Here are just some of the most scandalous...
EastEnders baby theft: 13,400 Ofcom complaints - Back in 2011, EastEnders was flooded with complaints when Ronnie Branning (RIP) swapped her baby for the dead son of Kat Moon. The storyline drew the most number of objections in the soap’s long history and saw it roundly criticised by campaigners - with 13,400 flying in over the course of the storyline. Some viewers called it “distressing” and “horrific” but Ofcom ruled the scenes were not "unduly disturbing”.
Emmerdale dog-napping: 550 Ofcom complaints - Back in 2016, Ross Barton and Charity Dingle came up with a plan to steal a dog and hold it ransom - but viewers didn’t like it one bit. The nation’s pet owners rose up, insisting the storyline would encourage copycats (not to mention copydogs). Complaints over two episodes totalled a staggering 550 and soap writers quickly learnt you don’t mess with animal-lovers.
Coronation Street double murder: 546 Ofcom complaints - Marginally less people complained about a gruesome double murder than objected to a dog-napping plot when Pat Phelan was at the centre of a spate of killings . First he forced Andy Carver to shoot dead Vinny Ashford - and then Pat killed Andy. All the bloodshed back in 2017 proved to be too much for some viewers, who lodged complaints in vast numbers about the “violent scenes”.
The caption read: "Ever seen a dog do a photoshoot? Now you have!" In an additional post, producers were keen to emphasise that although horrific scenes are shown on-screen, backstage it is a completely different story. On X, a short video clip was posted by the official account of the soap, which showed staffers stroking the small dog in a loving way. The post read: "Some scenes can be upsetting to watch, but Minnie (AKA Piper) is treated with nothing but love and lots of cuddles on set.
" Emmerdale is available to watch on ITV1 and ITVX. Visit our Emmerdale page for the latest gossip Find all Emmerdale spoilers here Read more on the Scottish Sun UNHAPPY NEW YEAR Major Scots city CANCELS annual Hogmanay celebrations LAST ORDERS 'Another icon gone' say punters as historic Scots pub announces shock closure 8 Although Piper is actually alive in the soap Credit: ITV 8 But Tom still gave away the pet as revenge for Belle ending their marriage Credit: ITV 8 However, Belle believes her best friend had to be put down Credit: ITV 8 The dog who plays Piper got her own special moment with a treat on set Credit: Instagram 8 Both actors lovingly cuddled up to the dog after the storyline was widely criticised Credit: Instagram.
