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Most kids fantasize about spending the night in their favorite stores. Hell, as an adult I dream about getting trapped in Ikea all the time. But some stores are not the ideal place to find yourself locked in after hours. One of those places is Petco. (Have you ever smelled that place? Yikes.)

Last night, that nightmare became a reality for Kris Jensen. In an email, Jensen—who is the same person who was looking for her lost unicorn in Columbia Heights recently—tells DCist the story of how she got trapped in the Cleveland Park Petco last night:

“The store is usually open until 9 p.m. and I walked in just after 8 p.m. tonight. The lights were on and though it did look a bit deserted, I assumed the employees were in the back helping other customers or doing inventory. I grabbed my two bags of cat food (and treats) and preceded to the checkout. While I was wasting for a cashier, I noticed a countdown on the alarm system behind the cash register…30 seconds to leave the building. I ran up the stairs, but too late. The doors were locked tight. I searched the store but not an employee in sight.”

On Sundays, Petco closes at 8 p.m. instead of its usual 9 p.m. closing time the rest of the week. After Jensen realized she was trapped in Petco, she panicked about what to do next:

“I called my mother of all people and she told me to call the police! (I was afraid that everyone would think I broke in). And though I did have to repeat my story several times (Officer, I’m trapped in Petco!), they did send two officers. In the meantime I waited by the door. A couple of pedestrians tried to enter the store but I told them it was closed (and that I was trapped but the police were on their way!). Some even offered to keep me company while I waited. The police tried the doors, tried calling the store, but no one could track down the Petco manager. Eventually the fire department showed up. A crowd started gathering (and laughing).

Jensen says she finally made her great escape through the emergency exit door in the back of the store, after being trapped for about an hour. A Metropolitan Police Department public information officer verified that police responded to an incident at that Petco location wherein a woman was locked inside. No charges were filed.

Lesson learned: Always check store hours before doing late night shopping.