A self-proclaimed veterinarian in Chengdu, China, is currently under investigation for operating an unlicensed “clinic” on the street, and charging around 50 – 100 yuan to remove the vocal chords of noisy dogs.

Why would any dog owner want to remove their pet’s vocal chords, you ask? In this particular case, most of the shady vet’s customers told police officers that they had received complaints from their neighbors that the animals barked too loudly, so they decided to have them devocalized. That’s a gruesome thing in itself, but to have the procedure done by some random guy on the side of the street, with unclean surgical instruments is simply appalling.

The so-called vet, known only as Zheng, had apparently been offering the controversial dog devocalizing services at a flower and bird market in Chengdu since September 14, with clients lining up to take advantage of his low prices. Reporters at the Chengdu Business Daily were tipped off about his operation this week, and conducted an undercover report that ultimately led to the clinic being shut down.

The gruesome photos and videos posted online a few days ago, showed dozens of dogs being injected with anesthetic and having their mouths pried open with a pair of strings by Zheng’s assistant, while he cut their vocal chords using the same dirty instruments on all of them without sanitizing them between procedures. According to the report, Zheng operated on around 10 dogs an hour, and simply threw their bloody vocal chords on the pavement.

Asked by the undercover reporter if he had a license to operate his mobile clinic, Zheng admitted that he was doing the procedures illegally, adding that he had learned the skill from “the others” years ago. ‘Why do you need a licence? The inspection is not strict and no one is checking anyway,” the fake vet can be heard saying.

Luckily, police were called to ask Zheng a few questions, and he has been ordered to cease and desist. An investigation is also in progress, although the punishment he risks is unknown.

According to the Daily Mail, having dog’s vocal chords removed is somewhat of a trend in China these days, with many owners choosing to have it done to stop their pets from barking too much. However, the procedure has been described as “unnecessary and inherently cruel”, and poses serious health risks like infection, blood loss, breathing difficulties and heavy stress. Also, a lot of people don’t realize that they are basically taking away the dogs’ natural ability to vocalize and communicate.

The video of this hack performing the cruel procedure in the street was just too gruesome to post, but if you think you have the stomach for it, you can watch it here.