Big beauty : Tibetan mastiffs can weigh 80kg . Just a year ago they could command prices of up to £1.2million each . But Tibetan Mastiffs are now so unpopular in China they are being sent to slaughterhouses – and their meat put into cheap hotpots . The dogs ' dramatic decline in fortune is being partly blamed on the Chinese government 's wide-reaching anti-corruption crackdown . Previously , wealthy businessmen would give the prized mastiffs to officials in the hope of influencing their decisions . Luo Yi , general manager of China 's largest Tibetan Mastiff puppy farm , told People 's Daily Online : 'The anti-corruption drive means people not daring to hand them out as gifts - nor would anyone take one as a gift . ' It is also thought recent bans on owning dogs of more than 50kg in several Chinese cities - including Beijing , Zhengzhou , Shanghai and Tianjin - has had a huge impact on the breed 's popularity . Tibetan Mastiffs – which were traditionally used in Tibet to herd other animals and are known for their loyalty - can weigh up to 80kg . China 's mastiff market collapse was revealed after animal-welfare workers rescued a group of the dogs that were being transported to a slaughterhouse . The abattoir they were heading to provides hotpot meat for restaurants . The dogs ' skin can also be used for leather belts . Rescuers said they found the 20 mastiffs in cramped cages . A third of the dogs were already dead and none had been given food or water for three days . Several were suffering from broken bones . Shocking trade : Twenty Tibetan mastiffs were recently found crammed into cages on their way to a slaughterhouse like the dogs in this picture - taken on a motorway in the Chinese capital Beijing in 2009 . It is feared that across China hundreds of the dogs are meeting such a cruel fate . Mastiffs are also being stolen from the streets by ruthless gangs , who sell them to the slaughterhouses , say animal charities . Unscrupulous breeders are also offloading their 'imperfect ' specimens to the abattoirs . Luo Yi , whose puppy farm is in Tibet , said some of his fellow breeders had damaged the quality of the breed to make more money . 'Driven by profits there was a lot of cross-breeding which resulted in a deterioration of the Tibetan mastiff in terms of appearance as well as temperament , ' he explained . There was now a glut of poor-quality dogs that ca n't be sold , he added . Loyal : Tibetan mastiffs , like the one here , were originally used by people in Tibet to herd other animals . In their heyday : A visitor plays with one of the dogs at a Tibetan mastiff show in Shenyang city four years ago . Meanwhile , Chen Youjun a specialist in Tibetan mastiff photography , said : 'The rapid pace of urbanisation across China has made more and more people now realise Tibetan mastiffs are not animals well-suited to city living . ' The breed 's boom began in 2005 and led to the dogs being seen as status symbols . Just 13 months ago one puppy sold for £1.2million , which is thought to be the highest price ever paid for a dog . A property develop bought the golden-haired one-year-old from breeder Zhang Gengyun in the eastern province of Zhejiang . Mr Zhang said of his dogs : 'They have lion 's blood and are top-of-the-range mastiff studs . ' Most expensive dog in the world : The gold-maned Tibetan mastiff pup ( left ) sold last year in east China for £1.2million . The red pup of the same breed ( right ) fetched nearly £600,000 . The dogs are seen with a model .
Tibetan mastiffs had been status symbols for China 's wealthiest . They were given as gifts to grateful officials by businessmen . the puppy was sold for £ 1.2million to a property developer last year . But an anti - corruption campaign means the breed is now shunned . Instead the dogs are sold to abattoirs for their fur and skin .