A TORTURED dog appeared to cry "tears of blood" after allegedly being brutally beaten by meat traders on the way to a Chinese slaughterhouse.
The wounded pooch was among six dogs supposedly being driven to an illegal abattoir, all crammed inside a filthy cage that was bound with a rusty chain.
The injured animals, including some who could have once been beloved pets, were intercepted by activists and police, in the Chinese province in Sichuan.
At first the lorry driver allegedly claimed the pets were his own and that he was moving house, the MailOnline reported.
The dogs have since been confiscated by police and taken to an animal sanctuary.
Du Yufeng, the founder of an animal protection centre, told the Mail: "They had been beaten by dog traders and had injuries all over their bodies."
GIVEN-UP ALL HOPE
She shared shocking footage of several dogs inside a cage, where one animal continuously howled for freedom and another appeared to have given-up all hope.
The down-beaten dog also appeared to have several dried blood droplets on its face and was despondent to people nearby.
Police were alerted to the suspect vehicle by animal lovers who discovered information in online chat groups, Ms Du said.
A second clip showed a man, dressed in a brown coat, being questioned by police.
He allegedly said they were his pets, but when quizzed further did not answer where he was headed to or how he obtained the animals, Ms Du claimed.
The animals are now being held at Ms Du's shelter, Bo Ai Animal Protection Centre, which is located in the city of Guangyuan.
'CHILDREN' SAVED
She thanked police and activists for their help rescuing the animals, who she referred to as her "children".
Ms Du said: "Thank you to all the volunteers who attended the rescue campaign and guarded the 'children' that were about to be sent to the slaughterhouse."
It is estimated that around 10 million dogs are killed for meat in China ever year.
The practice is also conducted in other Asian countries including Vietnam and South Korea.
DOG MEAT FESTIVAL
Ms Du claimed that a large number of stray dogs and stolen pets were hidden in different parts of Sichuan earlier this year.
She believed they were being gathered for the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in June.
The controversial event sees thousands of dogs killed in cruel circumstances, skinned and then cooked with blowtorches.
Ms Du asked the public to report any information about the dog-meat trade and to pressure the government into addressing the practice.
She said: "Winter is coming and this is the peak season of the dark industry and when 'children' get stolen."
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