| Summary: | Objective: To understand the experience of hospitalized childrenwhen visited by animals at hospital. Methods: Descriptive andexploratory research with qualitative approach in a private pediatrichospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Thirteen children aged threeto six years were enrolled. Observation of the children before,during, and after the animal’s visit, interviews, and drawings weresome of the strategies used to collect data, which were submittedto the Bardin content analysis technique. Results: Three meaningcategories were identified and showed some of the benefits of thisexperience to children “pleasant contact with the animals”; “easierinteraction with staff and with other children”; “pain and discomfortrelief”. Conclusions: Animal visits make the environment morerelaxed, improve the interaction between the child, the staff andother children thus helping sick children to be more cooperativewith hospital procedures. This is an alternative strategy for pain anddiscomfort relief. It has also been observed that this activity benefitsnot only children but also adults who care them.
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