When we first met Lil' Slim Jim in October 2004, he had recently been rescued from impending death in an animal shelter.  He had been abused and neglected, and had developed a very serious illness that caused his weight to drop to just five pounds.  A wonderful woman rescued him from the shelter and brought him to Steele Canyon Veterinary Clinic, where Dr. Christine Wilson and her incredible staff brought Slim Jim back to health.  However, having been mistreated his whole short life, he had an aggressive reaction to most of the people who approached him.  When we first met him, he was that way to us.  However, we saw how loving he was with the few people who had earned his trust, and we set out to do whatever it took to make friends with him.  We visited him in the Clinic for a week, giving him treats and just sitting with him.  We then decided to bring him home for a trial weekend, even though he still hadn't warmed up to us yet.  It was a little shaky at first, but within a day he bravely decided to trust us, and he opened up his wonderful heart to us.  Ever since, he has been an absolute joy, and he has made a wonderful addition to our family.