I would think if he is willing to pay someone for a year to "keep" the dog then maybe he should see if it would benefit him to get out of his lease or pay the landlord more money.
I understand he is going through a difficult time right now and this is probably the last thing he needs. But maybe if he figures out how much he would loose if he broke his lease and found an appt. that would allow pets....in the long run it may be cheaper than paying someone also he would have that unconditional love you get from your "furkids" and someone to come home to after work who loves him.