This heart-breaking footage shows an abused golden retriever that was rescued from a dog farm trying to bark after having its vocal cords cut.

Animal activists discovered the poor animal alongside dozens of other dogs kept in locked, metal crates at an illegal pet farm in the town of Yancheng in Jiangsu Province, eastern China.

The farm reportedly belonged to Chen, 71, who made money by breeding dogs.

He would buy golden retrievers from pet markets and later built a 30-square-metre kennel, where he kept and bred them.

In order not to disturb his neighbours, Chen cruelly cut off the vocal cords of the helpless creatures so they would not make noise.

Unsettling footage shows one of the retrievers attempting to make a sound in apparent distress as its rescuers came along and freed it from its prison.

The rescuers said there were 32 dogs in total, and only the newborn puppies had avoided the terrible fate of having their vocal cords removed.

Local authorities later said the illegal farm has been shut down and demolished, and the dogs have been adopted by caring individuals.

It is currently unclear what punishment their abuser will be faced with.