Animal Care Specialist

Petco • Suffolk, VA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

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 an outstanding customer experience by combining animal-care knowledge with strong operational discipline. This role is suited to someone passionate about animal welfare who enjoys teaching others and contributing to a collaborative team environment.

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 position also involves regular customer assistance and cashiering, and working near animals, animal dander, odors, noises, and cleaning chemicals. Flexible availability is needed to support store 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.
• 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 companion animals and aquatic life according to 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, well-presented animal habitats and aquatic areas.
• Support department sales, margin, and shrink goals.
• Stock, price, and display merchandise to Petco standards, focusing on companion animals and aquatics.
• Order live animals, supplies, and related merchandise 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 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.

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.
• Petco Total Rewards includes health and financial benefits, 401(k), incentives, and PTO.

What This Job Offers

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