A crafty way to support WSU’s mission to end rabies

One carefully stitched craft at a time, Lynne Shaw is turning creativity into lifesaving impact, helping support Washington State University's mission to end rabies deaths in East Africa all the way from Massachusetts.

Through decorative wine bottles, handmade Christmas ornaments, woodworking crafts, seasonal wreaths and fresh centerpieces, Shaw, an avid crafting artist for more than 50 years, is providing funding that goes directly to the vaccination of dogs in Africa.

"You know, it doesn't matter where you live or who you are, we're all in this together," Shaw said. "It's important that every child has a life and it's important that we don't let children die from a virus that is preventable."

Across much of Africa, rabies remains endemic, disproportionately affecting children who are often infected through bites from unvaccinated dogs. For more than a decade, WSU's Paul G. Allen School for Global Health has led mass dog vaccination clinics in Kenya and Tanzania, surpassing 3 million dogs in 2025. The effort, known as Rabies Free Africa, is largely funded by veterinary clinics in the United States and Canada donating $1 per rabies vaccination to the program.

It's a cause that Shaw - who heard about the program from her niece and veterinarian Dr. Thea Doidge - couldn't help but find a way to support.

Lexington-Bedford Veterinary Hospital in Lexington, Massachusetts, where Doidge works, is one of more than 120 clinics in the Vetcor veterinary care network that have joined the effort to support WSU's rabies program.

Doidge will be one of about a dozen veterinarians traveling to Tanzania to partner with WSU veterinarians and locally employed community members to lead mass dog vaccination clinics. Last year a similar trip resulted in more than 2,700 dogs receiving vaccinations in just two days.

"Thea is so excited because she knows she's going to come back with more knowledge than she went with. It's something she's decided to move forward with as an ambassador, and I really want to support her," Shaw said.

Shaw said that she doesn't need to board the plane to Tanzania to make a lifesaving impact.

For the foreseeable future, a portion of her craft profits will continue to benefit the program.

"It's not a ton of money, but it's my way to pay it forward," Shaw said. "I would encourage people to learn about Rabies Free Africa. You don't have to give thousands of dollars. Do what you can. Get your kids involved; teach them about what children in other countries are going through."

Giving back is nothing new to Shaw.

She spent 50 years as an ER nurse in Massachusetts, as well as more than 15 years as a call firefighter. She also was an EMT and is now a part-time grant writer for the town of Brookfield, Massachusetts and a nurse at the Clara Barton Camp, a summer camp for children with Type 1 diabetes.

After suffering a blood clot in her lungs that almost cost her life in 2022 and subsequently forced her to have to relearn how to eat, walk, and drive at the age of 67, Shaw said she's more inclined than ever to support good causes that make a difference.

"I'm very blessed and I know that, but I want to feel like I was kept here for a purpose," Shaw said. "I'm here to make sure I fulfill that purpose."