A Dartmouth business owner aims to support animal shelters with her new children’s book, inspired by her 10-year-old rescue dog.

Anne Soares and her husband Lance rescued their labrador retriever Chuck four years ago. Since then, Soares has written a children’s book about Chuck’s life in an effort to inspire other families to adopt from animal shelters.

“Kids are remarkable,” said Soares, a Wareham resident who co-owns a martial arts studio in Dartmouth. “They remember figures from their childhood like Clifford the Big Red Dog and Barney…. We hope that Chuck will be one of those childhood characters and make kids say, ‘I want to go to a rescue.’”

Soares’ first-ever book is called “Chuck’s Journey Home,” but her plan is to make it part of a series titled “Lab Tales.” It’s written for children, ages 6 to 9, who are interested in learning about pet adoption.

Soares’ first instinct for the book was to support shelters, but she was stumped on how it could do anything but raise funds. An avid follower of rescues on Facebook, Soares said the answer “was sitting in her newsfeed.”

“Every single one of the rescues I follow were posting pleas for help,” she said. “I realized I can use the book not only to raise money for rescues. As a children’s book, it begins the education process for the next generation.”

Soares supports a variety of shelters on a rotating basis, and a portion of book sales contributes to this. However, online shoppers can choose which shelter they wish to support.

Additionally, businesses that carry “Chuck’s Journey Home” will be able to pick the shelter that receives donations, said Soares, who is still seeking out area retailers.

Lab Tales’ scope is national, and Soares has arrangements with rescues in California, Washington, and Colorado. She said rescues are welcome to contact her for fundraising help.

“For me, there’s no limit,” she said. “No rescue is too small or too big." So far, Soares has raised almost $500 for shelters with her book.

Soares plans to publish more books that explain aspects of a rescued dog’s life, such as visits to the veterinarian. Eventually, Chuck-themed T-shirts and plush toys may be available for sale as well.

The fame hasn’t affected Chuck’s ego at all though, said Soares. “He’s still a big goofball, and we just love him to pieces,” she said.

“Chuck’s Journey Home” is available for sale at the Soares’ Family Martial Arts Center, located at 331 State Road, Suite D. Book purchases there support the Fairhaven Animal Shelter.

The book is also available online at: www.labtales.com, www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.