Tom Qian/ Shanghai Daily news

The family of a sick man seeking a folk remedy to cure his asthma slaughtered a new-born calf in a residential area in Pudong New Area on Tuesday to the horror of onlookers.

There was no immediate word on how the asthma patient is feeling now, but the bloody scene did scare the man's neighbors, especially many children, according to a Shanghai Morning Post report.

Despite the shock he created, there apparently will be no legal sanctions.

"We didn't receive any reports on the case," said Tang Junwei, an official at the Pudong public security bureau.

If officers had been notified, Tang said they would have tried to persuade the men not to go through with the public butchering. He added that the police have never received a report of a similar case.