HGTV Couple Claims Pet-Sitter Covered Up Pooch’s Brutal Death by Bigger Dog

HGTV stars Eilyn and Ray Jimenez are devastated … their beloved pup Aria died in what was supposed to be the care of a professional pet-sitter … who they claim made up a story to cover up the fact their pooch was brutally killed by another canine while they were out of town.

In an IG post this week, the “Divided by Design” couple shared sweet shots of their 12-year-old Shih Tzu … with a chilling message splashed across the pics — “If you think your pet is safe with your pet sitter, think again.”

In the caption, they said when they got back to their Miami home on August 29 after two days away, their Rover.com pet-sitter was in tears … claiming Aria had passed away peacefully in her sleep.

The couple says cremation records show Aria’s body was brought in for a “rush” job the day she died. Staff at the cremation center asked the person who dropped off the dog what had happened to the poor pooch … the person said Aria had been killed by a larger dog. The center cited brutal injuries to the little pup — including a detached scalp and a bulging eyeball.

The couple says the sitter wasn’t even in Miami at the time of the alleged attack … they claim the sitter’s partner had possession of Aria, in the unauthorized presence of other big dogs … and they say there is actually no “vet friend” — and adding insult to injury, they say the cremation went forward without their consent.

The Jimenezes kept receipts — pointing to documented evidence, personal messages, and publicly available material like booking records, screenshots, and timestamps.

A Rover.com spokesperson tells TMZ … “Upon learning of this incident, Rover’s 24/7 Trust & Safety team conducted a thorough investigation into Aria’s passing. The sitter involved has been deactivated from our platform without the option to appeal. …. We stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation should they become involved.”