Family Continues To Seek Justice For Wyckoff Dog Killed By Cop

WYCKOFF, N.J. — The family of a dog shot and killed by a township police officer last year continues to seek justice for their beloved pet.

The Vukobratovic’s German shepherd, Otto, was killed after Officer Kyle Ferreira shot the dog twice during a botched burglary investigation at the family’s Lawlins Road home April 29, 2015. Police said the dog jumped out of an open window and bit Ferreira on his foot, latching onto it. Ferreira responded by firing his gun four times, hitting the dog twice.

The dog had to put down at an animal hospital later on that night. Ferreira was exonerated of any wrongdoing following an internal investigation.

The killed solicited strong responses from animal rights groups and local residents who said Ferreira was too quick to use deadly force in trying to protect himself.

Ferreira believed the dog could have caused “serious bodily harm.”

“He was a very special dog, and my family and I loved him very much. We want to thank everyone who has supported us for the past year; friends, family, lawyers, and strangers,” Igor Vukobratovic said in a statement posted on the Justice for Otto” Facebook group. “We have not given up on getting justice for our [little] pup.”

Vukobratovic said the family is “still in a sort of legal limbo” regarding the matter. The family adopted another German shepherd after Otto’s death.

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Otto, the German shepherd shot and killed by Officer Kyle Ferreira in 2015. Pach file photo