Longest 3 years of my life - Anonymous employee Petco Employee Review

1.0
Oct 15, 2012
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Got to bring your pets to work and play with other people's pets. Decent employee discount and special promotions.

Cons

You'd think that a company whose slogan was "Healthier Pets, Happier People, Better World" would have a great culture, but no. Petco has a very old school, highly structured, soul-sucking culture. Executives pass directives down through middle management and rarely address employees directly. There were no opportunities for advancement and management had no interest in mentoring or developing talent. I saw many instances of highly questionable ethics throughout all levels of management. Very poor communication and cooperation between departments and even within departments, for that matter. They would often assign completely unrealistic workloads and expectations so certain individuals would either quit or be terminated for cause (cheaper than paying severance when their job gets exported out of state or to an overseas call center).

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5.0
Feb 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good team and leadership at this location

Cons

Hours range from morning by to night

1.0
Jul 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Wonderful people under the Sr. Director level - Dogs in the office - Brand name carries weight on your resume

Cons

- Sr. Directors and above are largely nepotism hires rather than merit-based promotions - Leadership team is toxic and disrespectful, and that tone trickles down to other senior leaders - Gender favoritism shows up repeatedly, with women being asked to pick up the work of men without additional pay. Or men being promoted over women due to favoritism and not merit. - Nearly every employee I worked with was disengaged and functioning out of fear of layoffs rather than job satisfaction (layoffs happen multiple times a year) - The company's declining position also makes it harder to land your next role, since a recent Petco title now reads as coming from a struggling brand

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