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Staff at a kennels business in West Auckland are too scared to walk along the paddock for fear of being shot by an arrow from next door.
Woodcote Farms: Boarding Kennels & Cattery in Massey has been in business - taking care of animals including dogs, cats and horses - for the past 30 years.
Next door is the Massey Archery Club, where members of the club and general public shoot targets throughout the week.
Jill Jones, owner of Woodcote Farms, said there have been "a few near misses" from arrows flying over from the neighbouring property into hers.
Staff feel "uneasy" simply walking dogs past the boundary fence, Mrs Jones says.
"The arrows head straight into the back of our kennels and get stuck there. We had the odd arrow thunder through the back of the fence. They fly into the paddock - my staff don't go down there anymore - they've seen the arrows. They're deadly."
Five shooting targets - the back boards facing the kennels business - line the boundary of the two properties, divided by about a metre-high barbed wire fence.
Mrs Jones said she called the police to get the archery club to alter its targets so her animals would not be at risk, but was told nothing could be done to change things unless there was a law change.
In a written statement to the Herald, OSH - through the Department of Labour - acknowledged that a complaint was received in November from Mrs Jones, who was concerned that her staff and animals could be at risk during the archery club's competition days.
As a result, OSH officials visited the site for inspection and discussions between the archery club head staff and Mrs Jones were held.
A phone call from Mrs Jones in December confirmed that issues had been resolved, with three of the targets being altered.
The small boundary fence at the bottom of the paddock, however, was not enough to protect both animals and people walking past, Mrs Jones said, with better security measures needing to be put in place.
A bamboo fence or a towering wire fence similar to those used at golf courses was a must to give absolute protection.
"I want them to take stock of themselves and to be responsible - turn their targets around - it's somebody's life at risk. It's up to you to be safe and not for me to get shot," Mrs Jones said.
President of the Massey Archery Club Frankie Robson said she was aware of the complaints made against the club, but said all safety precautions had been made.
"There are millions of fences. We've done everything in the book. We changed half a dozen targets because they thought they were too close. Everything I'm doing, we're doing correctly."
Ms Robson said reports that the club allowed the use of crossbows were false and that those who did shoot at the club were professionals.
"These guys don't miss," she said.
Almost two weeks ago, a woman watering her plants in Glen Eden, West Auckland, was rushed to hospital after an arrow flew from her neighbour's property and struck her just above her right eye.
Mrs Jones said accidents involving crossbows and traditional bow and arrow-like weaponry would continue to happen unless stronger laws were put in place.
"They have rules about knives, axes - all lethal weapons - and not arrows. It's stupid and irresponsible. They're just waiting for somebody to die."
