Andrea MacVicar, children’s book writer and a retired pastor, was in college when she rescued Zoftic, a black Labrador pup, from behind her yard.

“It was 1977; I was in my thirties and we were living in Michigan,” the Coral Springs resident said. “There was a large field behind our house. One day, I heard puppies crying and walked out to see five Labrador pups; someone had abandoned them. Four of them were male; I adopted the female.”

Zoftic more than returned the favor, in life and even after her death.

“Tales of Zoftic,” a book that has the Labrador as the central character, has not only won MacVicar praise but also helped her raise more than $5,000 for charity. The money will help the Humane Society, Friends of Greyhounds, Wycliffe Bible Translators and Christian Aid Mission.

“The book is about two love stories – in one, Zoftic helps her master find a life partner. In the second story, she falls in love with a German shepherd, a police dog,” MacVicar said. “I wrote it for third and fourth grade students. Many adults have told me they enjoyed the book as well. I have had nothing but positive reviews; a literary agent said the rhyme is impeccable while a teacher said the vocabulary is very rich.”

MacVicar is back to writing these days. “It’s a mystery science fiction for middle school children. This is prose, a different book entirely. Any writing is a matter of skill, craft and inspiration. I like the challenge of doing something new.”

Tales of Zoftic is available at http://inspirationpress.org for $21.45, including shipping.