Animal Care Specialist at Petco in Encinitas, CA

Want to help pets live their best lives?

We’re proud to be where the pets go and where the pet people go. 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

Animal Care & Maintenance

• Verify all animal care and maintenance tasks are completed according to established schedules.
• Perform routine housekeeping duties, including cleaning habitats and tanks, sweeping and mopping floors, dusting, and facing merchandise.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory, operational, and safety standards.

Customer Experience & Sales Support

• 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.

What Success Looks Like

• Animals are healthy, safe, and cared for to Petco’s highest standards.
• Customers trust the team’s expertise and return for guidance and solutions.
• Animal habitats and aquatic areas are clean, compliant, and visually appealing.
• Inventory and merchandising support sales while minimizing shrink.
• Partners feel supported and informed through shared animal-care knowledge.

What You Bring

Experience & Skills

• 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.

• High school diploma or GED preferred.

• Completion and ongoing maintenance of the Petco Animal Care Certification Program required.

Essential Functions & Work Environment

This role is performed in a Pet Care Center retail environment and requires active engagement on the sales floor.

• The role requires 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.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

Why You’ll Love It Here

• 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.

Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.

The pay ranges outlined below are presented in accordance with state-specific regulations. These ranges may differ in other areas and could be subject to variation based on regulatory minimum wage requirements. Actual pay rates will depend on factors such as position, location, level of experience, and applicable state or local minimum wage laws. If the regulatory minimum wage exceeds the minimum indicated in the pay range below, the regulatory minimum wage will be the minimum rate applied.

$17.00 - $25.00

Starting Rate: $17.90

Hourly or Salary Range will be reflected above. For a more detailed overview of Petco Total Rewards, including health and financial benefits, 401K, incentives, and PTO -see https://careers.petco.com/us/en/key-benefits

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