Lilly Goodson returned home Tuesday.

Goodson is the 5-year-old girl who was mauled by the family pit bull on Dec. 5. She lost an ear in the attack and will have to have more surgeries to repair the damage done by the dog, Griffin Police said Tuesday. She is expected to make a full recovery.

Griffin Police Cpl. Stan Phillips had to shoot the dog to get it to release the child. Phillips was honored for his efforts at Tuesday’s City of Griffin Board of Commissioners meeting. He provided an update on the child after he was presented the Strongest Link award for December.

Police Chief Frank Strickland said, “I wish we didn’t have the incident we’re here for, but I believe Cpl. Phillips’ actions saved the child’s life.”

Strickland said that when Phillips arrived at the scene, the child’s head was clamped down in the dog’s mouth. The grandmother and Phillips tried to get the dog to let go, but it wouldn’t.

“He got himself down on the ground, in a position where he didn’t shoot the child or the grandma, who wasn’t letting go of the grandbaby,” Strickland said.

Phillips is also working to help the family. He said he got together with the pastor at Carver Road Baptist Church, and the church raised money to buy a minivan for the grandmother, who has custody of the four children that were in the home, he said.

In the nomination for Strongest Link, Capt. Dwayne Jones said, “Cpl. Phillips exhibited great professionalism and judgment and his actions prevented further injury to the child and in my opinion potentially saved her life.”

The “Strongest Link” award is given monthly to a deserving employee who has demonstrated excellent performance and productivity, loyalty, professional pride and other noteworthy accomplishments. The recognized employee receives a day off with pay, a gift certificate from a local restaurant, the “Strongest Link” plaque and the symbolic “chain,” which the employee will be custodian of until a subsequent employee is recognized.