Dogs in this cage will be killed. The Yulin festival has come to symbolize the cruelty and lack of hygiene associated with the largely unregulated industry.[Photo provided to China Daily by the Humane Society International]

Qin claims that more than 80 percent of these are stolen pets, according to her association's research.

Peter Li, China policy specialist of Humane Society International, said the Yulin festival has reduced in size in recent years as the authorities in Yulin are under pressure from both domestic and international protest.

"The peak of dog slaughter was in 2012 or 2013 when more than 10,000 dogs were killed in three days. The number dropped to 2,000 in 2015," said Li.

You may not have missed a video One lucky dog: Rescued from dog meat trade

Shops display skinned dogs for sale, just like ducks and chickens, in Yulin. [Photo provided to China Daily by the Humane Society International]

In 2014, the Yulin authorities realized that endorsing the festival was a bad idea and in May 2014, they issued an internal warning to all government employees and families not to attend the dog meat restaurants.

"The Yulin authorities distanced themselves from the festival, saying it was a totally private business event, and shut down one live dog market and two dog slaughter operations in the city," according to Li. "This led to a drastic reduction in the number of dogs slaughtered in 2014," he added.

Yu Hongmei, director of the VShine Animal Protection Association, said China needs to follow the example of other developed nations that have banned human consumption of dog and cat meat.