Our Services

What is it

Animal-assisted interventions (AAI) are a type of intervention that involves the use of animals to promote therapeutic gains and overall wellness. These activities are structured and goal-oriented, meaning that they are intentionally designed to meet specific therapeutic or educational objectives.

Animal-assisted interventions can take many different forms, depending on the goals of the intervention and the type of animal involved. Some common examples include:

  • Pet therapy: In pet therapy, a trained animal (usually a dog or cat) is brought into a healthcare or educational setting to provide comfort, companionship, and stress relief for patients or students.

  • Equine-assisted therapy: Equine-assisted therapy involves working with horses to promote physical, emotional, and social development. This can include activities like horseback riding, grooming, and caring for horses.

  • Animal-assisted education: Animal-assisted education uses animals to enhance the learning experience for students. This can include activities like reading to dogs, using animals as teaching tools in science classes, and incorporating animal-related projects into the curriculum.

The benefits of animal-assisted activities are numerous. Research has shown that interactions with animals can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve overall mood. Animal-assisted activities can also promote socialization, increase self-esteem, and provide a sense of purpose and meaning for participants.

Overall, animal-assisted activities are a valuable intervention for promoting health, education, and overall wellness. By intentionally incorporating animals into therapeutic and educational settings, we can help individuals achieve their goals and improve their quality of life

How can it help

Equine therapy can be a valuable addition to an NDIS plan, offering a range of benefits for participants. It can improve mental, emotional, social, and physical wellbeing, enhancing self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-awareness while reducing anxiety. Equine therapy can also improve muscle tone, coordination, sensory integration, motor planning, and mobility, helping individuals with physical disabilities to gain greater independence and mobility. Through working with horses, participants can explore the power of non-verbal communication and learn how it can impact their interactions with others. Equine therapy can also provide a safe and gentle way to approach healing, allowing participants to process trauma without having to discuss or relive it directly. Additionally, equine therapy can encourage relationship development, respect, and understanding for living beings, fostering empathy and compassion in participants.

Animals for Autism*

While we offer animal assistance to everyone, it can be beneficial for Autistic and Neurodivergent individuals.

Animal-assisted interventions, such as animal-assisted therapy or pet therapy, have been found to be effective in helping individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in several ways:

  1. Increasing social interaction: Interacting with animals can help to increase social interaction and communication in individuals with ASD. Animals can provide a non-judgmental and predictable social partner, which can help to build confidence and social skills.

  2. Decreasing anxiety and stress: Interacting with animals can also help to decrease anxiety and stress in individuals with ASD. This is because animals provide a calming and predictable environment, which can help to reduce sensory overload and promote relaxation.

  3. Improving sensory processing: Many individuals with ASD have sensory processing difficulties, and interacting with animals can help to improve sensory regulation and integration. For example, activities such as grooming or playing with animals can provide tactile and proprioceptive input, which can help to improve sensory awareness and regulation.

  4. Providing emotional support: Animals can also provide emotional support and a sense of comfort, which can be helpful for individuals with ASD who may experience difficulties with emotional regulation and social interaction.

Overall, animal-assisted interventions can be a valuable tool for individuals with ASD, as they provide a structured and supportive environment that can help to improve social interaction, sensory processing, and emotional regulation. By building confidence and social skills, individuals with ASD can better navigate social situations and improve their overall quality of life.


Animals for Anxiety*

While we offer animal assistance to everyone, it can be beneficial for individuals struggling with anxiety and mental health.

Animal-assisted interventions, such as animal-assisted therapy or pet therapy, have been found to be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety. Here are a few ways that animals can help with anxiety:

  1. Decreasing physiological arousal: Interacting with animals has been shown to decrease physiological arousal, including reducing heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels (a stress hormone). This can lead to a sense of calm and relaxation, which can be helpful for individuals with anxiety.

  2. Providing social support: Animals can provide a sense of social support, companionship, and unconditional love, which can help to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. This can be important for individuals with anxiety, who may struggle with social interaction and forming relationships.

  3. Increasing positive emotions: Interacting with animals has been shown to increase positive emotions, such as happiness and contentment. This can be helpful for individuals with anxiety, who may experience negative emotions such as fear, worry, or panic.

  4. Improving social skills: Interacting with animals can also help to improve social skills, such as communication and empathy. This can be helpful for individuals with social anxiety, who may struggle with social interactions and forming relationships.

Overall, animal-assisted interventions can be a valuable tool for reducing symptoms of anxiety. By providing a sense of calm, social support, and positive emotions, animals can help individuals feel more comfortable and confident in their interactions with others, and ultimately improve their overall quality of life.


Animals for ABI*

While we offer animal assistance to everyone, it can be beneficial for individuals with brain injuries.

Animal-assisted interventions, such as animal-assisted therapy or pet therapy, can be helpful for individuals with brain injuries in several ways:

  1. Improving physical function: Interacting with animals can help to improve physical function in individuals with brain injuries. Activities such as walking or playing with animals can provide a form of exercise and rehabilitation, which can help to improve strength, coordination, and balance.

  2. Increasing social interaction: Interacting with animals can also help to increase social interaction and communication in individuals with brain injuries. This is because animals can provide a non-judgmental and predictable social partner, which can help to build confidence and social skills.

  3. Enhancing cognitive function: Interacting with animals can also help to enhance cognitive function in individuals with brain injuries. This is because animals can provide a stimulating and engaging environment, which can help to improve memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.

  4. Providing emotional support: Animals can also provide emotional support and a sense of comfort, which can be helpful for individuals with brain injuries who may experience difficulties with emotional regulation and adjustment.

Overall, animal-assisted interventions can be a valuable tool for individuals with brain injuries, as they provide a structured and supportive environment that can help to improve physical function, social interaction, cognitive function, and emotional regulation. By building confidence and social skills, individuals with brain injuries can better navigate social situations and improve their overall quality of life.

Animal-assisted activities offer opportunities to improve quality of life through motivational, educational, and recreational benefits. These activities are facilitated by trained professionals, paraprofessionals, or volunteers, who partner with animals that meet specific suitability criteria. Animal-assisted interventions are structured and goal-oriented, intentionally incorporating animals in health, education, and human services to promote therapeutic gains and overall wellness. This term serves as an umbrella for various interventions, including animal-assisted therapy (AAT), animal-assisted education (AAE), and animal-assisted activities (AAA). In all cases, the animal may be part of a therapy animal team led by a professional or may belong to the professional themselves.

Our Animals

  • Located in Jimboomba, just 1-hour from Gold Coast, and 40 minutes from Brisbane, we have secured access to a variety of farm animals including:

    Horses

    Sheep

    Dogs

    Chickens

    Ducks

    Birds

    And various wildlife!

    We can help you get there, or we can meet you there and complete an hour or more of animal therapy with you, where you can pat, brush, treat, cuddle, or even have a picnic with our beautiful animals! You can learn crucial farm skills if you would like, and create a beautiful bond with the animals.

  • Equine therapy can be a valuable addition to an NDIS plan, offering a range of benefits for participants. It can improve mental, emotional, social, and physical wellbeing, enhancing self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-awareness while reducing anxiety. Equine therapy can also improve muscle tone, coordination, sensory integration, motor planning, and mobility, helping individuals with physical disabilities to gain greater independence and mobility. Through working with horses, participants can explore the power of non-verbal communication and learn how it can impact their interactions with others. Equine therapy can also provide a safe and gentle way to approach healing, allowing participants to process trauma without having to discuss or relive it directly. Additionally, equine therapy can encourage relationship development, respect, and understanding for living beings, fostering empathy and compassion in participants.

  • Dogs and cats are commonly utilised in Animal-Assisted Interventions because of their inherent qualities that contribute positively to human well-being. Here are some reasons why dogs and cats can be particularly effective in such interventions:

    Companionship and Emotional Support

    Stress Reduction

    Physical Health Benefits

    Social Interaction

    Emotional Expression

    Motivation and Routine

    Sensory Stimulation

    Cognitive Engagement

    In summary, the inherent qualities of dogs and cats, including their companionship, stress-reducing effects, and ability to facilitate social interactions, make them valuable partners in Animal-Assisted Interventions, contributing to the overall well-being of individuals.