Emmerdale left fans disgusted earlier this week when Tom King injected Piper the dog in order to regain control of wife Belle. As the pooch was seen looking lifeless on the sofa, viewers were up in arms over the scenes.
As many threatened to complain to regulator Ofcom, others simply said they were switching off as Emmerdale had gone too far.
The soap has tried to put minds at rest by issuing a statement about Piper on their social channels.
Tom hurts Piper in Emmerdale
The scenes first aired on Monday May 27 and continued on Tuesday May 28. They saw Tom out of his mind after losing control of Belle.
She had voluntarily gone into a crisis care clinic as she believed she was in a relapse over her mental health. Tom had made her think she wasn’t taking her medication and therefore wasn’t in her right mind. However, viewers know he has tricked her in an attempt to stay in control.
His plan didn’t work though, when she went to the clinic and only allowed Lydia to visit. So Tom took drastic action and knew the only thing that would bring Belle home is if something happened to her beloved dog.
Taking a vial out of his vet’s bag, Tom prepared to inject the dog saying: “This will hurt me more than it hurts you…Actually, maybe not.”
Piper was then seen looking lifeless on the sofa as Tom called Lydia over and told her it wasn’t looking good and the dog probably only had hours left.
Lydia relayed the news to Belle during her visit to the clinic, but what will Belle do? Will Tom’s plan work and could it get her home?
Emmerdale reassures fans over Piper
Coming under fire over the scenes, Emmerdale reached out to viewers to assure them nothing had really happened to Piper.
Posting a clip of the scene on Instagram, they said: “These scenes can be distressing to watch, but we want to remind you that Minnie (AKA Piper) is a very good actor and is always living her best life on set! We can confirm that no harm has come to her whatsoever.”
View this post on Instagram
However, the reassurance didn’t stop fans reacting with anger to the storyline as a whole.
“Not watching anymore. This is beyond upsetting and this storyline needs ending now. Until then I’m out,” said one.
Another agreed: “Nah I’m sorry but I draw the line at animal abuse. Terrible. A new low for this show.”
“This has gone too far now. I’m a huge Emmerdale fan but disgusted at this, it’s vile,” added one more.
A fourth worried: “Don’t like the idea of this puts ideas into peoples heads!”
Read more: Who’s leaving Emmerdale in 2024?
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV, with an hour episode on Thursdays.
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