The number of dogs killed in a house fire on Snow Hill Road in Geneva has climbed to 15, and the man accused of deliberately setting the blaze is now sitting in jail with no bond. Terrance Fredrick Banks, 40, made his first court appearance Tuesday, a day after investigators say he poured gasoline throughout the interior of his home and set it ablaze while more than a dozen dogs were trapped inside.
Investigators told deputies that Banks deliberately set the fire with the animals still in the house, according to WKMG. Seminole County Fire, Animal Services, and Sheriff's Office personnel returned to search the debris of the burned house, where crews recovered the bodies of seven more dogs, per a county spokesperson cited in the same report. That brought the confirmed death toll to 15 dogs, a sharp increase from the initial count reported when the fire first broke out.
According to an arrest report cited by WFTV, Banks was charged with second-degree arson after investigators determined the gasoline was used to ignite the interior of the residence. He was also charged with 11 counts of aggravated animal cruelty, according to FOX 35 Orlando, after investigators found multiple dogs trapped in cages inside the home with no opportunity to escape the flames and heavy smoke.
Fire Left Total Loss, No Human Injuries
The fire caused a partial roof collapse and completely destroyed the residence, rendering it a total loss, though no human or firefighter injuries were reported, the WFTV report notes. Banks reportedly told investigators approximately 19 dogs were inside the house before the fire started, while public records and social media pages have linked him to Lionmane Kennel, a business advertising American bullies, pit bulls, and bulldogs, according to the same account. The discrepancy between Banks's estimate and the number of animals accounted for by investigators remains unresolved.
The station also reported that Banks made unsolicited statements to responding deputies at the scene, acknowledging he started the fire and asking officers to take him to jail, statements that were incorporated into the formal arrest affidavit. Before Tuesday's court appearance, Banks had been assigned bonds totaling $27,500 on the 11 animal cruelty counts while being held with no bond on the arson charge, with law enforcement requesting GPS monitoring in the event he was released.
Surviving dogs rescued from the fire suffered severe burns and smoke inhalation and were placed in protective custody at Seminole County Animal Services for emergency veterinary treatment, Seminole County Emergency Manager Alan Harris said in a broadcast statement reported by WESH 2 News.
Defense Cites Mental Health Episode
At Tuesday's hearing, defense attorney Richard Hornsby said Banks experienced mental health issues on the day of the fire and requested that Banks receive a professional mental health evaluation. Hornsby said Banks suffered a serious mental health episode that resulted in his conduct, and he said law enforcement omitted that mental health information from the arrest report.
Statutes Carry Steep Penalties
Statutes Carry Steep Penalties Florida law also addresses first-degree arson, according to Online Sunshine. Florida's Dexter's Law strengthened penalties for aggravated animal cruelty and took full effect January 1, 2026, per Mid Bay News. That same law requires anyone convicted or pleading guilty to be listed on a public statewide animal abuser registry maintained by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Banks's case remains pending, with charges tied to the 15 dogs killed and the animals still recovering from the blaze.
