text: 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 can'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 .
target: Tibetan mastiffs had been status symbols for China's wealthiest .
  They were given as gifts to grateful officials by businessmen .
  One puppy was sold for £1.2million to a property developer last year .
  But an anti-corruption drive means the breed is now shunned .
  Instead the dogs are sold to abattoirs for their meat and skin .