The owner of Egg, the pet pug who died last month, has today pleaded guilty to lying about the dog's disappearance.
Qiushi Xia faced Burwood Local Court on Thursday and admitted to fabricating the story of the dog's death and abduction.
The 29-year-old revealed that Egg had choked on a treat on a morning in early February and later died. The dog's owner told the court that he then dumped the dead animal in Parramatta River.
Xia told 7News: "I did all this to cover the fact that our dog died."
The court was also told that this isn't the first pug Xia and his girlfriend have owned that has died. The couple owned Pepper the pug, who died after choking on a toy.
"It's sad the dog is dead because it is the second dog that has been lost," he told Seven.
Egg's owner originally reported to police that the dog had been stolen while he was held at knife point by three thieves at Sydney Olympic Park. Soon after reporting this, he was charged with making a false report.
Police eventually found the body of the 14-week-old pup after a frantic search that captivated Sydney. Egg's owner will reappear in Burwood Local Court next week.