Dogs with their vocal cords removed are being sold as pets in a market where an illegal vet was caught performing shocking 'de-barking' operations just days before, MailOnline can reveal.

Video clips provided by a local animal activist shows dogs being kept in cages at a pet stall in the Qingbaijiang Birds and Flowers Market in Chengdu, south-west China.

The animal activist, who wished to remain anonymous, said many of the pets on sale could not bark and he saw the animals desperately trying to make sound in order to express themselves.

In mid-September, an undercover investigation caught an unlicensed vet cutting the vocal cords from dogs in the same market - because their owners were fed up with them barking.

An animal activist in China visited the Qingjiangbai market after an illegal vet was caught. The man, who wished to remain anonymous, said he saw dogs which could not bark on sale

Last month, a vet was caught performing horrifying devocalisation operations at the market

The Chengdu-based animal activist told MailOnline that he went to visit the market at around 11am on September 27 after reading reports of the vet.

He said he did not see the aforementioned vet carrying out 'de-barking' operations that day. It was understood that the vet's tools had been confiscated by the authority and he was also told to stop performing surgery.

But after asking around, the animal activist found out that the vet was still running his dog-breeding business in the market.

'Because it is not illegal to breed puppies, so the authority could not stop him from doing that,' the animal activist said.

The activist said it was unclear whether or not the dogs being sold in the market that day had undergone surgery by the same vet.

The vet cut the vocal cords from dogs as his assistant forced open the mouths of the animals

After the operation, the dogs were lined up in a row to wait for the anaesthetics to pass

According to PETA Asia, the other vendors in the market and the vet were likely to share business interests. The vendors were being extra cautious while speaking to visitors to the market after the vet had been caught.

The Qingbaijiang Agriculture and Forestry Bureau told volunteers from PETA Asia that they had banned the vet from carrying out further surgery and taken away his tools.

The officials said they were still investigating the case and they were treating the case as a matter of 'practising without license' and 'environmental pollution'.

Millions of people have been shocked after an undercover report by local newspaper Chengdu Business Daily revealed the vet performing devocalisation operations on animals in the street.

It was reported that the man had been carrying out surgery (left) at the market since September 14 until he was told to stop by officials on September 17. His stall remained empty (right) when the animal activist on the morning of September 27

Syringes, cotton balls and dozens of vocal cords were disposed on the floor after operations

Pictures and video from September 18 showed the vet, surnamed Zeng, cutting the vocal cords from dozens of dogs as his assistant forced open the mouths of the animals.

The news has sparked an outrage among the public as people and animal lovers called the procedure 'unnecessary' and 'cruel'.

Mr Zeng told the undercover reporter, who pretended to be a potential customer, that he did not have a licence to run the operation, but he claimed that he learned the skills from 'the others' years ago.

The reporter said all the equipment were been sterilised for once when the unlicensed vet performed about 10 operations in an hour.

Vocal cords could be seen scattering on the floor near Mr Zeng's seat.

Mr Zeng added that the operation costs from 50 to 100 yuan (£5.62 to £11.24).

In explaining why they had brought their dogs to undergo the operations, a few pet owners said that they had received complaints from their neighbours.

The act of getting pet dogs devocalised can be observed around China.

Most owners choose to let their animals undergo the surgery to stop their pets from barking too much.

Forestry Bureau officers asked the vet to present his veterinary licence on September 17

The officials took away the vet's tools after he had failed to present a licence for his stall

He Jinyi, a Chengdu-based vet, told MailOnline that many clinics in major cities have stopped performing devocalisation operations, but clinics in smaller cities still do.

Mr He said that is why dog owners in Chengdu, a provincial capital, could only resort to illegal vets such as Mr Zeng to stop their pets from barking.

Mr He, who runs the I and You Veterinary Clinic in Chengdu, added: 'Having vocal cords removed is very cruel.

'Dogs bark because they want to express themselves. There are many way to tackle the noise issues, such as to train or comfort the dogs.

'The problem cannot be resolved through cutting the vocal cords.'

According to Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, devocalisation is an invasive procedure with the inherent risks of anaesthesia, infection, blood loss and other serious complications.

Dogs could suffer breathing difficulties and increased level of stress and risks of threats to safety as a result of the operation.

Animal rights group PETA Asia explained that devocalisation took away dogs of their natural ability to vocalise and communicate. The group said the procedure 'is unnecessary and inherently cruel'.

Keith Guo, a spokesman from PETA Asia, said: 'It's horrifying to know so many dogs have suffered through this procedure at the hands of this unlicensed vet.'

Irene Feng, director of Animals Asia's Cat and Dog Welfare, agreed that devocalisation is a cruel and harmful operation to dogs.

'It is being carried out in unsanitary conditions risking pain and infection for the animal, while such mutilation is obviously extremely negative for the dogs' welfare and quality of life,' Ms Feng stressed.

Both animal groups admitted there are no organisation running a specific campaign against the devocalisation trend in China, but they have been working hard to increase the awareness about responsible companion animal ownership.