An ‘extraordinary’ woman

Helen Rabinska.

LETTER: The recent passing of Helen Rabinska is a profound loss for Taupō.

By Donna Wright

While our community mourns, we must also pause to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary legacy she leaves behind.

As co-founder and operations manager of CARE (Community Animal Rescue & Education), Helen was not simply involved in animal welfare, she was its driving force.

From nothing more than conviction, courage, and an unshakeable belief that animals deserved better, she helped build a rescue that has transformed the lives of thousands of vulnerable animals over more than a decade.

Helen did not take the easy path. Establishing and sustaining a rescue in a small community requires resilience, stubborn determination, and an ability to keep going when resources are scarce and the emotional toll is high.

She pioneered a compassionate, no-kill philosophy that many said could not be done, achieving a remarkable euthanasia rate of just 1%.

For Helen, every animal mattered, not as a statistic but as a life worth fighting for.

Whether she was running the CARE Op Shop to keep the doors open, advocating fiercely for better outcomes, or quietly performing small miracles such as teaching sign language to Tin Tin, a deaf dog, Helen led with both courage and heart. She gave voice to those who had none, often at great personal cost.

While her passing feels painfully untimely, the greatest tribute we can offer is to support the mission she built. It is heartening to know that CARE will continue its vital work. Taupō is a kinder place because of Helen Rabinska, and our community is immeasurably poorer for her absence.

Yours sincerely,

Donna Wright