SOUTH POINT - Personality means everything to Slick the 4-month-old calf because the steer's warm temperament kept his name from being Hamburger.

Slick captured the hearts of the Stalder family from the moment they brought him home to their Burlington-Macedonia Road farm in South Point that was once Pine Lake paylake decades ago.

"We bought him to butcher him but it is not going to happen," said Rhonda Stalder as Slick ran circles, mooed and hopped around all in effort to get some attention. "Once you name stuff, you just can't eat it."

"Yeah, Mom fell in love with him," chimes in 9-year-old Levi Stalder as he climbs under the electric fence to feed the animal.

Mother and son agree that Slick is "ornery," but that it is part of his charm.

"We need to dress him up and put him on our Christmas cards," Rhonda said as Slick continued his muddy antics on a drizzly August day. "Maybe we should give him a hat or something."

The Stalders', which include husband Doug and 14-year-old Brittany, rural retreat that they bought eight years ago is home to more than 20 chickens, horses, goats dogs and cats - several of which are uniquely part of the family like Slick.

Crutch, a limping rooster that hangs out with the cow, is another family pet that they all love.

"We pretty much have a petting zoo, I think," Rhonda says with a laugh.

The family even added a horse from a high-tech source - the Internet. After entering a contest at horsecity.com, they were amazed when the company delivered the horse to their doorstep.

For Levi, the family farm is just one big playhouse. He know his way around the property, showing off the horse stable, the fishing shed, the lake and more.

What does he enjoy most about their home?

"I like the space, being away from stuff," he said, though it is not all fun and games. "I get up in the morning and feed the cow and goats. I ain't hard, but it ain't always fun either."

But for Slick, everyday as part of the Stalder family is certainly better than the fate he narrowly escaped. Slick certainly seems to be an appropriate name.