+1 for Blast's pet sitter recommendation.

Last two years, for our twice-annual week-long trips, we've paid our 11-year-old neigbor to dog-sit our shihtzu. Not a lot to do but feed him once in afternoon, once in morning, and she spends half-hour "playtime" with him each visit.

Money-saver for us compared to boarding, he's much happier in familiar surroundings and she's delighted to earn $100 for roughly seven hours work.

After that first year, our budding entrepreneur added two other neighbors as "clients" just through word-of-mouth.