Jacob Barr alleges in the suit that another volunteer sprayed the tiger in the face with water or vinegar from a garden hose before he was attacked. The lawsuit, filed Aug. 27 in Warren County Circuit Court seeks damages in excess of $25,000 from the facility and its owners, Kenneth and Sandra Smith. Barr was mauled Aug. 3 by an 800-pound tiger while he and another volunteer, Roy Elder, were attempting to clean the animal's cage. The suit alleges that the Smiths instructed Elder to spray the tiger in an effort to move it from its cage to a holding pen so the cage could be cleaned. According to the lawsuit, Barr was sitting on top of the holding pen holding the door open waiting for the tiger to move into the pen when the tiger suddenly leaped from the cage toward the roof of the pen and attacked Barr. Elder then struck the tiger in the head with a pickax, according to the lawsuit. The Smiths then shot and killed the animal. The suit also alleges the Smiths tried to cover up the incident by telling Warren County Sheriff's Department deputies that Barr had been attacked by a stray black and white pit bull. According to the lawsuit, the Smiths transported the tiger to a family member's home in Truxton. Barr eventually had to undergo two surgeries in which his right leg was amputated just above the knee as a result of the attack. Efforts to contact Kenneth and Sandra Smith were unsuccessful. No court date has yet been set.