CHARLESTOWN, Ind. (WDRB) -- There's no denying Tim Stark has a big, strong bond with some bigger, stronger cats.

"Hi, baby girl. Hi baby, girl. Now, damn. Look at them run. I mean, my God, they're scared to death of me. I beat them so often they're terrified of me," he said facetiously inside a cage with two young mountain lions as the two big cats purred and embraced him. "Quit, baby girl. Quit. Come here. Come here. Denali, come here."

Next, he strolled over to an adjacent cage where a hybrid cat, a cross between a lion and a tiger, sprawled out vulnerably to welcome Stark.

"Get up! Get up! Get up here and see dad!" Stark said playfully. "Show daddy how big you are! Get up! Get up!"

But Stark, the owner of the hands-on southern Indiana roadside zoo called Wildlife in Need, is under the gun. He said the lions, tigers and other exotics cats aren't the most ferocious part of his job. PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is.

"They are walking human flesh devils," he said, without missing a beat. "I get to live my dream. Only thing about it is, piece of s**t PETA people turn my dream into nightmares."

PETA sued Stark's zoo and its Louisville-based veterinarian for violating the Endangered Species Act when it learned Stark paid the vet to declaw about 12 of the big cats without any pain medication. According to PETA, a United States Department of Agriculture report says two tiger cubs suffered "severe complications" and died after one of the surgeries.

"Declawing actually involves the amputation of a cat's toes at the last joint," said Brittany Peet, the director of captive animal law enforcement for PETA. "It's debilitating. It's painful."

On Tuesday, Peet and PETA claimed victory after a federal judge wrote declawing an exotic cat is a violation of the Endangered Species Act.

"Declawing Exotic Cats without medical necessity is a violation of the [Endangered Species Act]," U.S. District Court Judge Richard Young wrote plainly in a two-page order settling the case.

Peet, who said Wildlife in Need is one of the most notorious roadside zoos in the country, believes the ruling sets precedence across the country in protecting lions, tigers and other big cats from roadside zoos hoping to exploit them for their entertainment value.

“PETA’s settlement will spare other big and exotic cats a similar fate and make it harder for Wildlife in Need to find any veterinarian willing to declaw lions, tigers and hybrids illegally for its cruel photo op stunts," Peet said.

But Stark has a very different take. He believes he didn't violate any law. Before the surgery, he said he consulted a "blue book" of regulations the USDA gives zoos and even consulted experts. Both he and his vet say they were told it was "frowned upon" but not illegal to declaw the exotic cats.

As for other allegations of abuse, Stark said they're unfounded and walked in and out of cages to demonstrate what seemed to be a friendly relationship with the animals.

"I'm here. I'm here for the long haul. I'm not going anywhere. You know, and I'm tired of their s**t," he said of PETA. "Here, PETA. You want to play games? Let's play games."

He said, despite the court order, he'll keep declawing his big cats.

"Damn right, I will," Stark said. "You know, it ain't none of their damn business what I do."

However, now, after the judge's order, it may be impossible to find a vet to do such a procedure. The vet who performed the surgery last time said he won't operate on an exotic cat again.

PETA, meanwhile, said it'll continue pursuing a separate lawsuit against Stark until all of the exotic cats are in the care of a reputable wildlife sanctuary. Stark said he's ready for that fight.

"I have no choice but stand my ground," he said. "I will stand my ground. They will not confiscate as much as a damn field mouse off my property as long as I'm breathing. It ain't gonna happen."

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