Animal rights activists who helped save thousands of dogs from slaughter during previous dog-eating festivals in southern China might find it hard to do it again this year after authorities suspended train service to the venue.

The annual Yulin dog meat festival, which starts on the Summer Solstice, on Monday, and lasts 10 days, sees party goers eat dogs and lychees in the Guangxi province city.

Unlike in previous years, animal rights activists from other parts of the country may find it difficult to flood in to rescue dogs, since train service to Yulin was recently halted, local residents said. Officials reportedly gave no reason for halting the trains.

Activists saved about 1,000 dogs in each of the 2016 and 2017 events by blocking trucks transporting the animals to markets, according to media reports.

Some mainland internet users, however, cheered the possible absence of animal activists, saying they “support the development of local dog meat culture.”

In the lead-up to the festival, some traders from as far as Sichuan province were planning to deliver dogs to Yulin, volunteers from a Chinese animal concern group said on their WeChat social media account.

In the Sichuan city of Mianyang, a villager was found to have caged 56 dogs at his home. Some of the animals were frail and some appeared to be stolen pets, since they wore collars, the volunteers said.

Police took the villager, surnamed Zhang, away for an investigation after finding suspected slaughtering tools including knives, gloves, pliers and a working desk in his home.

Neighbors of Zhang’s said he had been selling dogs to be eaten for about 20 years.

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