A third sponsor has severed ties with Irish greyhound racing over a shocking RTE documentary which exposed the culling of 6,000 dogs a year due to over-breeding.

Leading animal feed manufacturer Connolly’s Red Mills today announced that it has pulled its overall sponsorship of the industry following the “shocking revelations” in the RTE Investigates programme broadcast on June 26.

The documentary revealed how around 6,000 under-performing greyhounds are culled each year due to over-breeding.

In one shocking scene that was filmed undercover, a dog was seen being shot in the back of the head at a knackery.

“It is clear that a number of cruel and unscrupulous practices are being pursued by individuals and the failure of the regulatory bodies in the sector to address these unacceptable activities has led Connolly’s Red Mills to make this decision,” the company said in a statement.

“Connolly’s Red Mills prides itself in providing the best nutrition for pets, working animals and elite sports animals. The welfare of greyhounds is of the utmost concern to Connolly’s Red Mills and the company is horrified by the completely unacceptable acts that were broadcast by RTE. No one who cares about animals can condone the practices depicted in the broadcast,” the statement read.

READ MORE: ‘We should make haste slowly before closing down knackeries’ – Creed

It comes after two other sponsors pulled out this week due to similar concerns.

The manufacturer of Barry’s Tea announced it had withdrawn its sponsorship of the annual greyhound race in Cork following the revelations aired on the programme.

“We were saddened and horrified by the recent revelations of the ‘RTÉ Investigates’ programme, which raised concerns over the treatment of dogs within the greyhound industry in Ireland,” Barry’s Tea said in a statement.

“On reflection, we have decided to withdraw our local sponsorship of the annual race in Curraheen Park, Cork.”

READ MORE: Barry’s Tea scraps sponsorship of annual greyhound race in Cork

It is the second company to withdraw sponsorship. FBD Insurance also withdrew its sponsorship this week.

“Our only sponsorship of greyhound racing was a small sponsorship arrangement with Kilkenny Greyhound Stadium. Following the recent RTÉ Investigates programme, FBD has decided not to renew this,” the company said.

READ MORE: Irish Greyhound Board ‘condemn the deplorable actions’ shown in last nights RTE Investigates programme

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