Animal Instincts Australia

04/01/2026

03/01/2026

💛 Rehoming Our Beloved Guinea Pig Boys – EOIs Welcome 💛

This one is bittersweet for us to share.

Due to rising costs, changing staff schedules, and a continued shift toward our farm-based programs, we’ve made the difficult decision to rehome our three male guinea pigs. As much as we adore them, we simply can’t give these little guys the time and attention they truly deserve.

Meet Archie, Patches, and Chatty 🐹
They are:
~ Very well handled and friendly
~ Used to people and calm interactions
~ Big fans of fresh fruit and veggies

At this stage, the boys are housed in separate cages. Once our female guinea pigs arrived, the boys began to fight, so they’ve been kept apart for everyone’s safety. That said, they happily chat to each other through their cages and are very social little souls. They may be suitable to introduce to a young or baby male guinea pig if someone is looking to add a companion, with proper introductions.

We’re happy for their cages, bottles and supplies to go with them, and in place of a sale price we’d accept whatever donation you’re able to afford to our charity arm (tax deductible).

These boys mean a lot to us, so please note:
~ Their new home is not negotiable — the right fit matters most
~ This is EOIs only at this stage
~ We are in no rush and will take the time needed to find the right home

They would be well suited to a caring family, or potentially as therapy guinea pigs in the right environment.

If you think you might be the right home for Archie, Patches and Chatty, please send us a message or email hayley@animalinstinctsaustralia.com with a bit about yourself and the setup you can offer.

We’ll miss these little guys dearly, but we know the right next chapter is out there for them 💛🐹

03/01/2026

03/01/2026

📅 LAST CHANCE – 2026 CALENDAR FUNDRAISER 📅

We’ve got just 15 calendars left in our 2026 Calendar Fundraiser and once they’re gone, that’s it!

✨ $20 each
📮 Postage available if you need it sent (click on postage when you order)
🐾 Filled with our animals, our paddocks and the heart of what we do

Every calendar sold directly supports our youth programs — helping young people find purpose, learn real skills, and stay connected to something meaningful.

If you’ve been meaning to grab one, now’s the time 👇
👉 https://www.outbackinstincts.org.au/store/p7/2026_Calendar_Fundraiser_NOW_AVAILABLE.html

Thank you for backing grassroots programs that are making a real difference ❤️

03/01/2026

🌾 Farm Tours Are Back – With Something NEW! 🐴🐮

We’re excited to welcome you to our upcoming Outback Instincts Farm Tours – a relaxed, hands-on experience where you’ll meet our animals, learn their stories, and get up close with life on the land.

✨ What’s included:

- Meet & interact with our horses, cattle and other farm animals
- Learn about animal care, behaviour and life on a working rural property
- A calm, family-friendly experience for all ages

🐎 NEW ADD-ON ACTIVITY:
We’ve now added horse/pony leadline rides on our quiet, well-handled horses – available for both children and adults. A beautiful way to enjoy the farm and create some special memories. Bookings limited so be quick!

📅 Upcoming dates:

January 15th: 2.15-4.15pm
January 17th: 3-5pm

🎟️ Bookings are essential – spaces are limited.
👉 Book here:
https://www.outbackinstincts.org.au/store/c3/Fundraising_Events.html #/

All proceeds help support our youth and community programs, so every visit truly makes a difference. We can’t wait to share the farm with you 🌱

31/12/2025

🥰

31/12/2025

As 2025 draws to a close, we won’t pretend it’s been an easy year.

The ongoing changes within the NDIS landscape have taken a real toll on our services. We’ve sadly lost many clients who lost funding altogether, and once again the word “animal” proved challenging within systems that don’t always understand — or value — hands-on, practical, relational work.

And yet… here we are. Still standing. Still learning. Still pivoting when we need to. Still showing up.

This year has taught us a lot about boundaries — professional ones, personal ones, and ethical ones. We’ve had to make hard decisions to keep our doors open, and in doing so, we’ve lost people along the way who couldn’t understand those boundaries. That’s been painful — but necessary.

We’ve also learned that the “therapy” space is changing, and it doesn’t always align with how we work. And that’s okay. We know who we are.

At the core of Animal Instincts Australia are the animals — always. Their welfare comes first. Their needs matter. They are not tools, they are teachers. And our heart will always sit firmly with early intervention, support, and meaningful engagement for children and young people — especially those who don’t thrive in four walls, but flourish outdoors through responsibility, routine, connection and purpose.

Farm life teaches lessons many systems don’t:
• choice and consequence
• respect over entitlement
• accountability without shame
• empathy without victimhood
• hard work, patience, and resilience

We can’t — and won’t — please everyone. We’ve learned that walking our path doesn’t require external validation or approval. Our vibe attracts our tribe, and the right people always find their way through the gate.

To those who have stood by us this year — thank you.
To our supporters, clients, families, collaborators and community members who continued to believe in us, fight alongside us, and remain consistent when things were tough — we see you, and we are deeply grateful. Your trust, encouragement and quiet support have mattered more than you know.

And finally, to our animals — the real changemakers — thank you. Without you, we wouldn’t do this work at all. You remind us every single day why this matters.

As we head into the new year, we don’t pretend to know exactly what’s ahead. What we do know is this: we will keep delivering programs that are true to who we are and grounded in our ethics and values. If that resonates with you — welcome. If it doesn’t — we wish you well on your journey elsewhere.

Here’s to resilience, integrity, and staying true to our path.

Happy New Year from all of us at AIA. 🐾🌾

31/12/2025

Just a quick reminder for our AIA families & clients 👋

There are NO sessions running this week.
We resume all sessions from next Monday.

We’ve unfortunately still had a few clients arrive for sessions during this break and have had to turn people away. Emails were sent out multiple times advising that we are closed for the two weeks over Christmas/New Year.

Please make sure your support teams, workers and carers are aware of the closure and pass this information on where needed.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone back from next week onwards.

Wishing you all a safe and happy New Year 🎉

31/12/2025

🧠🐴 Why animals are such powerful teachers in mental health, disability & youth programs

Research into equine-assisted learning shows that working with horses in calm, hands-on environments can significantly reduce anxiety and stress while improving emotional regulation, communication, confidence, focus and social skills — particularly for children and young people.

The study found measurable improvements after just a short block of sessions, especially for young people aged 8–18. These outcomes are especially relevant for individuals experiencing mental health challenges, disability, trauma or difficulties engaging in traditional therapy or classroom settings.

At Animal Instincts Australia, this is exactly why we include animals — such as horses, dogs and livestock — as part of our disability, mental health and youth programs. Animals offer immediate, honest feedback and create opportunities for connection, self-awareness and growth without pressure, judgement or overload.

Our programs aren’t about “therapy rooms” or clinical environments. They’re about movement, connection, responsibility and learning through doing — supporting wellbeing in ways that are backed by both research and lived experience.

30/12/2025

❤️

A rural youth charity helping troubled teens in the Darling Downs through cattle handling and horse archery faces pressures as its waitlist balloons to 49 young people 👉 https://bit.ly/4sk8F1D

29/12/2025

🌿 We’re now on Hipcamp! 🌿

Ever wanted to camp at our property? Now’s your chance.

We’ve opened up a small number of peaceful camping spots at "Hillview", offering a quiet country escape just outside the Darling Downs.

🐾 Pet friendly (by arrangement – pets must be well behaved and supervised)
🐎 Horses welcome – plenty of space, fresh country air (BYO gear, containment/yard)
🏕️ Limited sites – only 2 designated camping spots at this stage, down near our dam and in a lovely quiet spot, with just one booking at a time, so you can truly enjoy the peace, privacy and space

It’s the perfect base for exploring the Darling Downs, soaking up starry nights, or simply switching off and unwinding in the country.

📍 Book via Hipcamp here:
https://www.hipcamp.com/en-AU/land/queensland-hillview-darling-downs-mxvh8ero?adults=2&children=0&srid=f985f2da-c5d5-4523-8df4-5d5f80b5cb19

If you’ve been craving a quiet paddock, fresh air and no crowds — this one’s for you.