That's one of the reasons they signed up as "hosts" on a new-petting-sitting site called "DogVacay.com."
Karen Ehman explains. "I wanted to put my kids to work this summer, while they were home, so they didn't sleep late, so they got up early. And I saw the website and I signed them up and then I started getting some inquiries right away. And we have our first booking at the end of July for two weeks."
The Ehmans will be getting paid at least $20 a night to pet-sit. It's added income for them, and a big savings over traditional kennel prices for the dog owners.
Plus, the Ehmans will play with and walk their "guests" -- treating them like members of the family -- for no additional charge.
Aaron Hirschhorn and his wife, Karine, started DogVacay.com after their own dogs, Rocky and Rambo, had some not-so-great experiences in kennels.
Aaron Hirschhorn explains, "When we traveled and left them in a kennel, not only did it cost more than our vacation, and not only were they in a cage for 23 hours a day, we felt so guilty, but they came back and they were anxious and just out of sorts. And we thought, there has to be a better way."
Hosts who sign up on the site can decide what kinds of dogs they'll take, how long they'll care for them and how much they'll charge per night. And DogVacay.com provides insurance and a screening process.
The Hirschhorns made $30,000 in eight months as hosts, but also use the service.
He says, "We've used, I think, nine different hosts on the site now in the past few months, and they love it. It's a great time, everything from the smaller apartment to the big ranch."
To check out DogVacay.com, as either a host or a owner, click here.
