WYCKOFF -- A lawsuit over a dog shot and killed by a Wyckoff police officer would enter uncharted legal waters.

"There's no reported decision on the books," Gina Calogero, an Oradell attorney and chair of the New Jersey Bar Association's Animal Law Committee, said. "There's no case law that specifically addresses this issue."

The Vukobratovic family, owners of a dog who was shot and killed by a Wyckoff police officer investigating a burglary at the wrong address, have said they plan to pursue damages for their pet's death. They're raising funds for possible suit.

Calogero, who is not involved with the case, said an attorney would have to rely on cases from other states to put a legal argument together.

Under New Jersey law, a dog is considered personal property, but not like a couch or a car. If a police officer damaged one of those things, you could sue to for their value.

Pets are different.

"They have something called intrinsic value that's on top of their monetary cost," Calogero said.

In New Jersey, a lawsuit could ask for additional damages based on the pet's "intrinsic value" to its owner. Intrinsic value isn't clearly defined but it can usually mean a monetary figure more than the purchase price or resale value.

Suits in similar cases in other states have been lucrative.

In 2006, Santa Clara county agreed to pay $990,000 to the San Jose chapter of the Hell's Angels, which sued after authorities killed three dogs in a raid. A Maryland family won a settlement of more than $600,000 after an officer killed their dog while executing an arrest warrant.

Animal law is still being defined in New Jersey. In a strange coincidence, Colagero's Animal Law Committe plans to hold a panel discussion at the New Jersey State Bar Assocation's annual meeting later this month.

The topic, selected in January, is "Please Don't Shoot My Dog." It will include a discussion on whether police training and use-of-force guidelines should cover pets.

"People treat their dogs like they're part of the family," Calogero said. "It's about time the law caught up with that and recognized that."

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.