Since it isn't generating rental income you have to rely on appreciation.

I grew up with dogs as well and would never just randomly bring my dog into someone else's house.

Cost to refi is dependent on value of the package, how much is owed on the packaged and how much income the package generates.

What are some ways I can go about getting the funds needed to perform the repairs so I can start generating income 

Then you'll have some degree of payroll costs whether you DIY payroll or outsource to a professional.This strategy yields the best results with a large family real estate business (i.e. an RE business that generates a lot of cleaning and maintenance requirements) and a 14+ year old who has nothing to do during the summer and can work for at least a few hours without supervision.Best of luck.

Is there a way to generate income from the large lot while tenants are living in the house?   

Set a goal for yourself, likely a cashflow number to cover your current expenses, and then figure out how much real estate you need to own to generate that cashflow.

One is hawking multi-families, one is single family homes, another has a system for wholesaling and "paper-flipping" homes, one has a lead generator, the other guy deals only with disabled-person housing. 

Generated $3k in income by asking for back taxes plus additional $3k back in credit off the sale price.

We aired it out, washed the floors and walls, used an ozone generator, deep cleaned everything, aired it out, painted, aired it out again and essential oils at the end sealed the deal.