The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Thursday, Feb. 23, that Timothy Stark is personally liable for misappropriated funds and assets.
It prohibits a person that owns or possesses a specified animal from allowing a member of the public to come into direct contact, or enter into a proximity that allows for or permits direct contact, with the specified animal.
The seven-acre Wildlife in Need property owned by Tim Stark is being auctioned on Saturday.
Stark, the owner of Wildlife in Need in Charlestown, Indiana, was taken into custody in October 2020 in upstate New York after he was charged with felony battery and intimidation.
PETA sued Stark in 2017 for violating the Endangered Species Act when it learned the zoo owner paid a vet to declaw big cats for controversial "Tiger Baby Playtime" sessions with visitors.
Scott Maples, chief deputy of the Clark County Sheriff’s Department, wouldn't elaborate Thursday as to the nature of Stark's situation, only saying he was in custody for "non-criminal related concerns."
Tim Stark owned Wildlife in Need, but he lost his license last year.
Animal advocates are claiming victory after a controversial roadside zoo in southern Indiana was dissolved.
During a hearing in Marion County Superior Court on Feb. 22, a judge ordered Stark, 55, to be released from custody on Sunday after serving 10 days for contempt.
Stark, 55, was arrested on felony warrants in upstate New York on Oct. 8 after being on the run for two weeks.