Youngsters at Kidz First Children's Hospital enjoy time with cuddly new friends

Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz wrote that "happiness is a warm puppy".

But it might also be a snuggly piglet, an inquisitive goat or a chilled out alpaca.

The youngsters at Kidz First Children's Hospital probably think so.

Ronan Foy,4, of Mangere wasn't afraid to get up close with most of the animals that came to visit at Kids First outside Middlemore Hospital. Photo / Nick Reed

They enjoyed a morning of pet therapy at the South Auckland hospital, spending time with cuddly new friends.

Balloons, bubbles and old-fashioned games, such as Pin the Tail on the Donkey, also helped put smiles on their small faces.

Ronan Foy wasn't afraid to get up close with most of the animals that came to visit. Photo / Nick Reed