MIAMI SHORES, Fla. — Eilyn Jimenez left her three dogs Baxter, Bentley and Aria with a sitter while she went on vacation only to find out Aria died and was cremated while she was away.

Jimenez said she found Barbara Paz, a dogsitter, on Rover, an online marketplace for pet services. The site’s users had written 118 reviews and Paz had 5 stars.

“During the trip, I had been checking in with her, asking how everything was going and she was like, ‘No, everything is fine, everything is wonderful.’ Sending me videos of the dogs, perfect,” Jimenez said.

When Jimenez returned from vacation, Paz arrived with Baxter and Bentley, and said Aria, Jimenez’s 12-year-old maltese-shitzu, had died in her sleep.

“In my mind, I couldn’t comprehend Aria passing and all I had was a box with her ashes and a paw print of her from the cremation center,” Jimenez said.

Without consulting with Jimenez, Paz allowed Daniel Cruz to pay Resting Rainbow Pet Memorials & Cremation via Zelle, so that Aria was cremated on Aug. 29. Cruz allegedly said

“The guy came in and said it was his dog. He wanted it cremated immediately. He paid $400 extra dollars to cremate it that moment when he brought it into the office,” Joseph Castronovo, of Resting Rainbow Pet Memorials & Cremation, said.

Paz had a different story about Aria dying in her sleep.

“I started to do CPR to her because I know how to do it on dogs and she didn’t move, she didn’t have any pulse. I’m freaking out to be honest with you,” Paz told Jimenez.

Jimenez suspected the cremation was an effort to detroy evidence since she later learned that Resting Rainbow records showed that Aria “had her scalp separated from her skull and an eye popping out.”

Castronovo also said Cruz had a different story.

“When Daniel came to pick her up, I asked what happened, and he told me, ‘The dog was attacked by a bigger dog,’” Castronovo said.

Jimenez said Paz never contacted her or her husband, or Rover before Aria’s cremation on Aug. 29. She learned about Aria’s death when she returned home from vacation on Aug. 31 and filed a report with the Miami Shores Police Department and contacted Rover.

Rover issued an apology on Sept. 4 and offered $1,000 from a support fund on Sept. 8.

“The sitter involved has been deactivated from our platform,” a Rover representative wrote in a statement. “We stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation.”

Jimenez did not accept the $1,000 from Rover.

“I have 12 years that I was with her that have now been ripped away because somebody made a bad decision,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez wants the Seattle-based company behind Rover to change their policies, provide more protections, and increase accountability.

“I still dream of her, I still feel that sadness inside because she was ripped away from me and they just continued with their life as if nothing,” Jimenez said.

Animal Advocate: Miami Shores maltese-shitzu dies under care of Rover dogsitter who may have covered up cause

Rover dogsitter fails to notify owner of death, allows cremation without permission

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Jacey Birch