Animal Care Specialist

Petco•Austin, TX

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Animal Care Specialist is the primary expert and advocate for the health, welfare, and proper care of companion animals and aquatic life within a Pet Care Center. The role ensures exceptional animal care and habitat maintenance while supporting sales, merchandising, and inventory execution. In partnership with the sales team, the specialist helps deliver an outstanding customer experience by combining animal-care knowledge with operational discipline. The position is suited to someone passionate about animal welfare who enjoys teaching others and contributing to a collaborative team. The role is performed in a Pet Care Center retail environment and requires active engagement on the sales floor. It involves frequent standing and walking, bending, kneeling, reaching, and lifting, including safely moving merchandise, supplies, or animals weighing up to 50 pounds. The specialist regularly assists customers and performs cashiering and point-of-sale transactions, and works in proximity to animals, animal dander, odors, noises, and cleaning chemicals. Flexible availability is required to support operating hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Requirements

At least 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 and aptitude for selling behaviors.
Basic business, math, and inventory-management skills.
Strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
Completion and ongoing maintenance of the Petco Animal Care Certification Program.
Ability to safely lift and move merchandise, supplies, or animals weighing up to 50 pounds.
Flexible availability to work during Pet Care Center operating hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Nice To Haves

High school diploma or GED preferred.

Responsibilities

Ensure the health, safety, and proper care of companion animals and aquatic life in accordance with Petco standards, policies, and procedures.
Complete and verify animal care tasks, including hourly animal health checks, wellness documentation, maintenance logs, and incident reports.
Ensure proper handling, documentation, and care of relinquished and adoption animals.
Serve as a primary resource for animal-care education for customers and Pet Care Center partners.
Follow and promote safety, animal welfare, and loss-prevention procedures.
Provide knowledgeable, compassionate, and solution-focused customer service and support customer interactions using Petco’s selling model.
Promote teamwork, inclusion, and collaboration, and mentor and educate partners on animal-care standards, maintenance routines, and best practices.
Maintain clean, professional, and well-presented animal habitats and aquatic areas.
Support department sales, margin, and shrink goals.
Stock, price, and display merchandise to Petco standards, primarily for companion animals and aquatics.
Order live animals, supplies, and related merchandise in partnership with the sales team.
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 and perform additional duties and special projects as needed.
Verify animal-care and maintenance tasks are completed according to established schedules.
Perform routine housekeeping, including cleaning habitats and tanks, sweeping and mopping floors, dusting, and facing merchandise.
Ensure compliance with regulatory, operational, and safety standards.
Process register transactions accurately and efficiently.
Evaluate customer needs and escalate concerns to the Leader on Duty when appropriate.
Support omnichannel and in-store initiatives through consistent execution and customer engagement.