Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Owens House officials and facility dog Gallant highlight services for Columbiana children
Loading...
Summary
Owens House board member Jennifer Neiman reported that 28 Columbiana children received forensic interviews in 2025 and that the Columbiana office provides forensic interviews, counseling and school-based body-safety education; facility dog handler Tanya Willingham described Gallant’s role supporting children during interviews and court appearances.
Representatives from Owens House, a child advocacy center with operations in Columbiana, briefed the council on local services and outcomes and brought their facility dog, Gallant, for an in‑chamber introduction.
Jennifer Neiman, vice president of the Owens House board, told the council that 28 Columbiana children received forensic interviews at Owens House during calendar year 2025. She said the Columbiana-based office provided mental-health counseling to about 40–45 children and that Owens House conducted roughly 383–384 forensic interviews systemwide; she added that 91 cases reviewed by the county’s multidisciplinary team were referred for prosecution. "Twenty-eight children who are Columbiana citizens were, in the calendar year of 2025, served at Owens House," Neiman said.
Neiman also described Owens House’s work in county schools: she said that Shelby County Schools classrooms from kindergarten through third grade received body-safety education from Owens House staff.
Tanya Willingham, the facility dog handler, described how Gallant supports children through interviews and counseling. "From beginning to end, he kind of forms a bond with the kids," Willingham said, explaining Gallant’s role in calming children before forensic interviews, sitting with them during counseling, and providing comfort in courtroom settings.
Council members and residents praised the program and several people in the audience pledged private donations to a downtown park project discussed elsewhere on the agenda.
The council did not take formal action on Owens House requests during the meeting; the presentation served as an informational briefing and a prompt for community support.
