WYCKOFF -- The Vukobratovic family has retained an attorney, continuing a campaign to put pressure on the Wyckoff Police Department after one of its officers fatally shot their dog.

The family hired Brandon Broderick, a Hackensack lawyer, Monday night.

Broderick plans this week to file a tort claims notice, a first step toward a lawsuit. The family hasn't decided whether to sue, he said. But they have asked for an apology and for the police to admit their mistake.

"There's a serious of concerns," Broderick said. "Perhaps the most important is that the story that the police gave the family was different than what the family believes and what the neighbors witnessed."

Chief Benjamin Fox said Patrolman David Ferreira went to the Vukobratovic house by mistake. He was actually supposed to go to a house across the street to investigate a burglary.

When no one answered the door at the Vukobratovic house, he opened a gate to their fenced backyard and drew his weapon when he saw an open window at the back of the house, thinking burglars might possibly be at the house, Fox said. Instead, Otto, a 5-year-old German Shepherd jumped out and bit Ferreira's boot, prompting him to open fire.

The Vukobratovic family said if the officer actually knocked, Otto would have barked immediately. They also found a shell casing in the backyard, at an angle where it would have been impossible to see the open window.

The family has asked supporters to attend Tuesday night's township council meeting.

"Today we are going to city hall," Zana Vukobratovic said. "There is a meeting."

Zana's son Igor, who watched Devils hockey games with Otto, and his best friend Chris Scala have started a Facebook page called "Justice for Otto" that has drawn more than 5,000 likes in less than a week. They have also circulated a petition calling for Ferreira to be fired, though Scala said he and the family didn't start it. In addition, the family is raising money for legal costs on GoFundMe, an effort that's raised more than $5,600 as of Tuesday morning.

Gina Calogero, an Oradell attorney who specializes in animal law, said there's not much case law in New Jersey covering when police shoot pets, but said the Vukobratovic family could sue for Otto's "intrinsic value," which could lead a monetary sum greater than the dog's purchase price or resale value.

Pet owners in some states have been awarded tens of thousands of dollars after police shot their dogs. In March, the Idaho city of Coeur D'Alene paid a man $80,000 after a police officer shot his dog.

Diane Balkin, a contract attorney with the Animal Legal Defense Fund Criminal Justice Program, said the family might also have an argument under the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable search and seizure.

"You have a right to be free from concern in your own home that law enforcement won't violate those privacy rights," Balkin said.

CALL TO ACTION: The Wyckoff Township Committee is having it's first May meeting tomorrow, 5/5, at the Borough Hall. It... Posted by Justice for Otto on Monday, May 4, 2015

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