We found an inexpensive way to send the dog on vacation too.
Karen and Randy Ehman love dogs, but they don't have one of their own.
That's one of the reasons they signed up as hosts on a new pet-sitting site called DogVacay.com.
"I wanted to put my kids to work this summer while they were home so they didn't sleep late," said Karen. "So they got up early and I saw the website and I signed them up. And then I started getting inquiries right away."
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 Hirshhorn and his wife, Karine, started Dog Vacay after their own dogs, Rocky and Rambo, had some not-so-great experiences in kennels.
"Not only did it cost more than our vacation, and not only were they in a cage for 23 hours a day and we felt so guilty," said Aaron, "but they came back and they were kind of anxious and just out of sorts. And we thought there had 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.
Aaron and Karine made $30,000 in eight months as hosts, but also use the service.
"We've used nine different hosts on the site now in the past few months and love it," said Aaron. "It's a great time."
DogVacay.com is always looking for additional hosts - and of course for dogs who need a vacation.
LINK: dogvacay.com
