First off all, how is that you can afford a trip during one the peak times of year at WDW but not the $30 to get your beloved dog his shots???
I am not trying to sound snippy, but please think about the reasons why dogs get vaccines. They don't just get them because kennels require them. They get them because the prevent them from getting potentially life threatening illnesses which could kill them or you (rabies is transferable to humans). If I could not afford the basic shots for my puppy, I would not be taking a trip, and if I had a trip planned before I got the puppy, I'd probably think about canceling it if I could not afford that plus my puppy's basic care. I'm not rich, not by any means, people here at the DIS can attest to my financial woes, but I can scrape up the cash for my dogs basic care ; if I had to, I'd even charge it. And I always have an emergency fund available, whether it's an empty credit card or my savings.
That said -- Shots cost about $30. AND -- There are also low cost clinics. You have a month. Find some way to get him his shots.
Next, have you checked with pet sitting services? Most of them will have people available to come by and check on your dog a few times a day. You are traveling during a very busy time of year. Kennels will be booked. Another option is to have him boarded at the vets. My trip is in Dec. and I already have my dog booked at his kennel. One of the responsibilities that comes with owning a pet is realizing that you can not do everything you want to without considering what you will do with the pet. Trust me, I'd much rather be able to have an extra $200 to spend on fun stuff at WDW than spending it on a kennel, but I think the joys I get from my dog more than make up for it and plus, that $200 assures me he is safe, happy and well taken care when I am away. In fact, we sometimes send our puppy on overnight trips to the kennel throughout the year, so he is aware of what the kennel is and he doesn't get scared when he goes. (He's a weird dog, he actually LOVES the place we send him. It's called Best Friends Pet Resort.
They have two centers in NY
http://www.bestfriendspetcare.com/centers.cfm#ny
You may have to drive a bit and they will require his shots. I suggest you get the shots for the dogs own health soon. Charge it if you must, or borrow the money from someone. Then check with Best Friends. You may have a drive to get to it, as I know NY is a large state. I drive over an hour to get to the one I go to. But it's worth it. The staff is professional, the rates are reasonable, and the dogs are kept in large enclosures with plenty of space for playing. They also have a large playroom where your dog can play for an extra fee (varies by state).
I suggest them because I have had good experiences, and also, their centers are HUGE.
Is your dog a puppy? What breed is he? I would never leave a young puppy home alone anyway, unless he was in a crate. You might want to try the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters.
http://www.petsitters.org/ Although, a good pet sitter is going to likely require basic shots as well.
I really hate to sound snippy, please do not take this the wrong way. But you really need to think long and hard about the responsibilities that come with owning a pet. You need to realize that there will be times when money, sometimes in great amounts, will need to be spent. $30 to $50 for shots and a checkup is not a lot to ensure the health of your dog. When traveling at busy times, you will need to reserve a sitter or a kennel far in advance. This will also cost you money. Pet sitters are cheaper than kennels, but both can be costly. I pay about $200 for a week when I go away. And there are other costs that come with owning a pet too, which I do hope you have taken into account.
I'm not trying to lecture you, but as someone who has worked with abandoned pets, the biggest reason I saw why people ditched their pets was because they did not bother to take into account how much $$ a dog would cost them before getting one.
As someone said, you could always try to take him with you, but be aware you will need his shots for airline travel, plus a travel safe crate and the kennel at WDW is $$$ and going to likely require the same shots as a kennel at home.
