Hayden Panettiere's Dog Sitter Lawsuit Settled

Hayden Panettiere better think twice the next time she pawns off a couple dogs for 6 years ... at least that's the takeaway after she settled up with her former dog sitter.

You'll recall Tia Brooks sued Hayden back in July in a bizarre case. Hayden got 2 rescues and left them with a dog sitter for 6 YEARS, paying a whopping $119,335.88. Seriously.

But Hayden claimed the dog sitter was a crook, giving the pooches away but pretending she was still caring for them and billing all the while.

Brooks claimed everything she did was kosher and turned around and sued Hayden for the $8,500 balance she said was owed.

We've learned the case quietly settled. They split the doggie in half and Hayden paid Brooks $4,250.

Brooks appeared on "TMZ Live" shortly after filing suit and refused to say where Zander and Xena ended up. As for why Brooks says Hayden left the dogs with her for half a dozen years ... well, it's crazy.