Animal Care Specialist
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 Petco Pet Care Center. The role ensures exceptional animal care and habitat maintenance while supporting sales, merchandising, inventory execution, and an outstanding customer experience. The specialist works closely with the sales team, shares animal-care knowledge with customers and colleagues, and contributes to a collaborative team environment. The position combines animal care and maintenance with customer service and retail operations. Responsibilities include completing and verifying scheduled care tasks and documentation, maintaining clean and compliant habitats and aquatic areas, supporting sales and inventory goals, processing transactions, and helping with opening and closing procedures as assigned. Work takes place in a retail Pet Care Center and involves active engagement on the sales floor and flexible availability for 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 is required.
- Ability to safely lift and move merchandise, supplies, or animals weighing up to 50 pounds.
- Ability to meet the role’s physical demands, including frequent standing and walking, bending, kneeling, and reaching.
- Ability to work in proximity to animals, including exposure to animal dander, odors, noises, and cleaning chemicals.
- Flexible availability for 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 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 across the Pet Care Center.
- 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.
- Ensure merchandise is stocked, priced, and displayed to Petco standards, focusing primarily on companion animals and aquatics.
- 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 and perform additional duties or special projects supporting Pet Care Center operations.
- Verify that 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.
Benefits
- Health and financial benefits
- 401(k)
- Incentives
- Paid time off (PTO)
- Opportunities to learn, grow, and explore career paths
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
