Sue grew up in New Zealand loving horses, always asking for a white pony and feeling happiest when spending time riding and caring for her first ponies and her horse, Lady.

As a child with autism and ADHD, Sue felt awkward around humans but found peace and confidence with horses, using time in nature to manage her feelings and emotions.

Bullied at school and struggling with human interactions, Sue discovered that horses accept her, noticing how their calm and fair behaviour helps her feel understood and secure.

Diagnosed with breast cancer at age forty, Sue moved to an acreage and surrounded herself with horses. She finds comfort from her pony Mindy, who has supported her through surgeries and recovery.

After moving to Queensland and spending more time with horses, Sue attended horsemanship clinics, learning calm body language and breathing, which helps her overcome long-standing anxiety.

Then she developed Horses Helping Humans, teaching young people and adults how to use horsemanship skills to build confidence, manage behaviour, and communicate better, especially for those with trauma or neurodiversity.

As the program grew Sue received awards and recognition, and she became an author, creating a certified program that supports thousands through practical lessons in confidence, boundaries, emotional health, and horse care.

https://www.horseshelpinghumansaustralia.com/

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Animals & Us (Kintsugi Heroes).

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

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Theme Song: "Follow the Sun" by Xavier Rudd

Julie grew up in the bushland of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, where her love for animals began with a rescued kitten at age two and a childhood spent exploring nature. That early connection with the environment led her to study Environmental Biology and complete a PhD on bird migration.

After working for years in veterinary and zoo settings, Julie moved to Townsville and began volunteering at a wildlife sanctuary - where she met dingoes for the first time. Expecting dog-like behaviour, she was surprised by their independence, intelligence, and sensitivity. That encounter sparked a fascination that would shape the next chapter of her life.

Training dingoes required a new kind of relationship - one built on trust and respect rather than obedience. Over time, she developed deep bonds with them, spending hours outside of work just to be near them. Their behaviour challenged everything she thought she knew about animal training and shifted her perspective on human-animal relationships.

Now working in natural resource management, Julie engages with graziers, traditional owners and policymakers to explore the role dingoes can play in landscape health. She advocates for coexistence strategies and challenges the long-held myth of the “wild dog”, calling for greater recognition of dingoes as native apex predators.

For Julie, dingoes are more than animals - they’re teachers, helping her understand ecology, connection, and what it means to work with nature, not against it.

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Animals & Us (Kintsugi Heroes).

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Follow the Sun" by Xavier Rudd

Juliette grew up near Kuringai Chase National Park surrounded by animals. She spent childhood days outside climbing trees, watching wallabies, collecting cicadas, and caring for strays she brought home.

She is a creator, artist, author, and all-round joy spreader. Her wonderfully colourful career that includes being a professional clown, a fun manager at a children’s playland, and training other businesses to generate fun.

Her passion for creativity has taken many forms, including painting artworks that have been exhibited across Queensland and teaching art to people with special needs and those on a mental health journey—something very close to her heart.

During lockdown, Juliette and her dog Peggy discovered an abandoned baby magpie named Molly, leading to an extraordinary bond and friendship between different species in her home.

Juliette believes animals are quiet healers and says her animals have taught her about love, kindness, peace, acceptance, and the importance of living in the moment.

These days, she puts her energy into writing and creating content that spreads love, kindness, and positivity. She has appeared on TV many times and connects with a growing community online, who have joined her in celebrating joy, acceptance, and the magic of friendship—especially the beautiful bond between Molly and his two best friends, staffies Peggy and Ruby.

Their book Peggy and Molly, Be Kind, Be Humble, Be Happy, is readily available.

Juliette’s mission? To make people smile, focus on the positive, and maybe even dance a little.

Social Media

https://www.instagram.com/peggyandmolly?igsh=OHh6ZThyczZkc3F2

https://www.facebook.com/peggyandmolly/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562351700775

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Animals & Us (Kintsugi Heroes).

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Follow the Sun" by Xavier Rudd