Alect... have you thought about hiring a pet sitter? Thisis someone who can come in and walk the dogs, feed the CAT and Dogs, play. Some pet sitters even can do house sitting.
A good place to start is Pet Sitters International:
http://www.petsit.com/home.asp
Type in your zip code and they will list reputible services who can help.
YOu can also check out Craig's list where a lot of pet and house sitters advertise.
Good luck though finding a sitter. I have a cat sitting services and told my clients in ealry Sept if you need me for Christmas/Thanksgiving book early!
MOst pet sitters are insuranced and bonded and can be trusted.
Good LUck