The Rural We: Maryann Hyatt

Pittsfield native Maryann Hyatt maintains that there are many similarities between her position as COO of Berkshire County Arc (BCArc, a non-profit service organization for individuals with development disabilities) and her private pet sitting business, but not in the way it might sound. When she describes both jobs, it becomes clear that there’s a lot of love involved in each.

I started at Berkshire County Arc in the 80s as a relief worker. I had never worked with the disabilities population before, but it was a way to put me through school, and I fell in love with this population. I was promoted to assistant director at one of the residences, then director, and as I continued my education, my professional career at BCArc kept growing. After I went back to school and got an MBA, I was promoted to vice president, then COO.

I’ve been at BCArc over 35 years, 10 of those working with individuals, but a majority of my time has been overseeing support for families who care for the family members at home that they didn’t want to go into an institution. I built a large family support department and do a lot of administrative oversight.

Berkshire County Arc has about 800 employees in Berkshire County and the Pioneer Valley, over 40 group homes and many support programs. It started as a grassroots initiative with nine families back in the 50s and is now one of the largest employers in Berkshire County. We pride ourselves on providing excellent services and giving individuals with disabilities and brain injuries the ability to live to the highest extent possible.

I started my pet sitting service in 1997 because I had three dogs of my own and found it difficult to go away without finding someone to stay at my home. If I left them with someone outside my home, they’d become very anxious. At the time, nobody was doing anything like this. When I told my vet I wanted to start this business, he said he’d support my efforts. So I did a few flyers, some makeshift business cards and a few cheap ads. The name popped into my head: Reliable Pet Sitting Company. I thought it was going to be a summer thing.

The idea is: this is an alternative to boarding your pets, or having your neighbor or family watch them. It’s designed around how many visits you want; it could be 2, 3, 4 visits a day. It was also designed to be a heart-based business, similar to what I do at BCArc. There, I did intakes with referrals and met the families. I was used to going into people’s homes, interviewing them, seeing what they needed. I do my pet sitting business the same way. The “summer business” turned into a 365-days-a-year, 24/7 service!

I do this very early, before work, and after work. My niece works with me and does a lot of the noontime pet sitting. I’ve met so many wonderful people doing this. Now I do it not because I have to, but because some people may really need it. I want people to be able to go away, and go away often.

I can’t tell you how many pets and their people my heart has broken for over the years. I’ve learned so much about unconditional love, both with the clients at BCArc, and for the pets I’ve pet sat for.