Animal Care Specialist

Companion Animal Specialist As a Companion Animal Specialist, you are the primary expert and advocate for the health, welfare, and proper care of companion animals and aquatic life within the Pet Care Center (PCC). You ensure exceptional animal care and habitat maintenance while supporting sales, merchandising, and inventory execution. In close partnership with the sales team, you help deliver outstanding customer experience by combining deep animal‑care knowledge with strong operational discipline. Key Responsibilities Pet First Ensure the health, safety, and proper care of all companion animals and aquatic life according to Petco standards, policies and procedures. Complete and verify required animal care tasks, including hourly health checks, wellness documentation, maintenance logs and incident reports. Ensure proper handling, documentation and care of relinquished and adopted animals. Serve as the primary resource for animal care education for customers and PCC partners. Adhere to and promote all safety, animal welfare and loss prevention procedures. Foster the Fun Deliver knowledgeable, compassionate, and solution‑focused service to customers. Actively support customer interactions using Petco’s selling model. Promote a culture of teamwork, inclusion and collaboration across the PCC. Mentor and educate partners on animal care standards, maintenance routines and best practices. Maintain professional, clean and well‑presented animal habitats and aquatic areas. Let’s Go! Support the achievement of department sales, margin, and shrink goals. Ensure merchandise is stocked, priced and displayed to Petco standards, with a primary focus on companion animals and aquatics. Efficiently order live animals, supplies and related merchandise in partnership with the sales team to support inventory integrity and business goals. Analyze inventory data and identify opportunities to improve in‑stock levels, shrink and operational efficiency. Participate in animal and aquatic related physical inventory counts. Assist with opening and closing procedures as assigned. Perform additional duties and special projects as needed to support Pet Care Center operations. Animal Care & Maintenance Verify all animal care and maintenance tasks are completed according to established schedules. Perform routine housekeeping duties, including cleaning habitats and tanks, sweeping and mopping floors, dusting, and facing merchandise. Ensure compliance with all regulatory, operational and safety standards. Customer Experience & Sales Support Process register transactions accurately and efficiently. Evaluate customer needs and elevate concerns to the Leader on Duty when appropriate. Support Omni‑channel and in‑store initiatives through consistent execution and customer engagement. What Success Looks Like Animals are healthy, safe and cared for to Petco’s highest standards. Customers trust the team’s expertise and return for guidance and solutions. Animal habitats and aquatic areas are clean, compliant and visually appealing. Inventory and merchandising support sales while minimizing shrink. Partners feel supported and informed through shared animal‑care knowledge. What You Bring Experience & Skills Minimum of 1 year of experience working with or caring for companion animals and aquatic life. Strong knowledge of animal care, husbandry and maintenance practices. Demonstrated ability to educate others and communicate effectively. Strong customer service mindset with an aptitude for selling behaviors. Basic business, math and inventory management skills. Strong organizational, interpersonal and communication skills. Education & Certification High school diploma or GED preferred. Completion and ongoing maintenance of the Petco Animal Care Certification Program required. Essential Functions & Work Environment This role is performed in a Pet Care Center retail environment and requires active engagement on the sales floor. The role requires frequent standing and walking, as well as bending, kneeling, reaching and lifting. Ability to safely lift and move merchandise, supplies, or animals weighing up to 50 pounds. Regular engagement with customers on the sales floor including providing assistance and performing cashiering and point‑of‑sale transactions. Must be able to work in proximity to animals, including exposure to dander, odors, noises and cleaning chemicals. Flexible availability to support operating hours, including evenings, weekends and holidays. Reasonable Accommodation Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role. Why You’ll Love It Here Purpose‑driven work that makes a difference for pets and people. A welcoming, inclusive team environment. Opportunities to learn, grow and explore career paths. A fun, fast‑paced role where no two days are the same. Salary Range $13.00 - $22.00 per hour. Start Rate $15.00 per hour. Benefits For a more detailed overview of Petco Total Rewards, including health and financial benefits, 401(k), incentives, and PTO, see Equal Opportunity Employer Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status or any other protected classification. #J-18808-Ljbffr Petco