Animal Care Specialist

Petco • New Milford, CT

19h • Onsite

About The Position

Petco is looking for an Animal Care Specialist to help pets live their best lives. The company prides itself on being a place where pets and pet people go, offering an exciting career path, a welcoming environment, and support for wellbeing. Petco's core values emphasize putting pets first, fostering fun, and committing as one team. For over 60 years, Petco has provided everything pets need, from meals and toys to expert support. The company has over 29,000 employees across more than 1,500 stores, 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, preventive care clinics, and distribution centers. Petco Love, founded in 1999, supports animal welfare groups and has helped approximately 7 million animals find homes. As a Companion Animal Specialist, you will be the primary expert and advocate for the health, welfare, and proper care of companion animals and aquatic life within a Pet Care Center (PCC). This role involves ensuring exceptional animal care and habitat maintenance, supporting sales, merchandising, and inventory execution. You will partner closely with the sales team to deliver outstanding customer experience by combining deep animal-care knowledge with strong operational discipline. This position is ideal for someone passionate about animal welfare who enjoys teaching others and contributing to a collaborative team environment.

Requirements

• 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.
• Completion and ongoing maintenance of the Petco Animal Care Certification Program required.
• 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 customer assistance and performing cashiering and point-of-sale transactions.
• Must be able to work in proximity to animals, including exposure to animal dander, odors, noises, and cleaning chemicals.
• Flexible availability to support 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 all companion animals and aquatic life in accordance with Petco standards, policies, and procedures.
• Complete and verify required 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 the primary resource for animal care education for customers and PCC partners.
• Adhere to and promote all safety, animal welfare, and loss prevention procedures.
• 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.
• 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.
• Perform routine housekeeping duties, including cleaning habitats and tanks, sweeping and mopping floors, dusting, and facing merchandise.
• Process register transactions accurately and efficiently.
• Evaluate customer needs and escalate concerns to the Leader on Duty when appropriate.
• Support Omni-channel and in-store initiatives through consistent execution and customer engagement.

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed