Animal Care Specialist

PETCO Animal Supplies Stores, Inc.; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

PETCO Animal Supplies Stores, Inc. is seeking a Companion Animal Specialist to ensure top-tier animal care and habitat maintenance within the Pet Care Center. You will support sales and inventory while delivering knowledgeable customer service and pet welfare education.

Ideal candidates are passionate about animal welfare, able to work collaboratively with the store team, and comfortable managing animal care routines and safety protocols in a fast-paced retail environment.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of proper animal care and welfare practices.
• Ability to deliver friendly, informed customer service and guidance.
• Ability to work collaboratively with store teams to maintain habitats and displays.

Responsibilities

• Ensure animal health and welfare standards are met in the Pet Care Center.
• Provide customer education on animal care and product usage.
• Support sales, merchandising, and inventory execution with a focus on pets and aquatic life.
• Maintain clean, organized habitats and ensure safety procedures are followed.
• Assist with opening/closing procedures and special projects as needed.

Skills

Animal care knowledge

Customer service

Teamwork

Job description

Want to help pets live their best lives?

We’re proud to be where the pets go and where thepet peoplego. If you want to make a real difference, create an exciting career path, feel welcome to be your whole self and nurture your wellbeing, Petco is the place for you.

Our core values capture that spirit as we work to improve lives by doing what’s right for pets and people.

• Pet First – Protect & Empower. All pets should Live their Best Life. We put the needs of pets and pet parents at the center of everything we do.

• Foster the Fun – Connect & Bond. Our Passion for pets brings us together! We celebrate the journey of pet parenthood through distinct experiences, products, and services.

• Let’s Go! Own & Commit. We are stronger as One Petco team. We bring our unique superpowers and champion authenticity in everyone to drive success.

About Petco:

We’re proud to be “where the pets go” to find everything they need to live their best lives for more than 60 years — from their favorite meals and toys, to trusted supplies and expert support from people who get it, because we live it. We believe in the universal truths of pet parenthood — the boundless boops, missing slippers, late night zoomies and everything in between. And we’re here for it. Every tail wag, every vet visit, every step of the way. We are 29,000+ strong and together we nurture the pet-human bond in more than 1,500 Petco stores across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, hundreds of preventive care clinics and eight distribution centers. In 1999, we founded Petco Love. Together, we support thousands of local animal welfare groups nationwide and have helped find homes for approximately 7 million animals through in-store adoption events.

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. This role is ideal for someone passionate about animal welfare who enjoys teaching others and contributing to a collaborative team environment.

What You’ll Do

Pet First

• 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.

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.

Key Responsibilities