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 ." Document Launch Doc

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 interior-design couple claims the sitter’s veterinarian

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