The stray dog was hit by a car , clubbed in the head and left for dead in a ditch in Washington state . Days later , the one-year-old bully breed mix showed up sickly and covered in dirt at a nearby farm . Now , the dog that defied death is recovering with the help of good Samaritans and veterinarians at Washington State University . Scroll down for video . Survivor : Ryann Simmons sits with the dog his girlfriend is fostering at their home in Moses Lake , Wash . The dog , Theia , survived being run over , beaten with a hammer and buried , and now needs surgery . Heroic : Theia , a 1-year-old bully breed mix was hit by a car and then struck in the head with a hammer and buried , but she managed to dig herself out . Hanging on : A driver hit the dog with a car -- and that person proceeded to strike the dog . The dog appeared to be hit with hammer in a mercy killing . The dog used to roam the streets getting scraps of food from people in Moses Lake , a farm town about 100 miles west of Spokane . About a month ago , she was struck by a car . Then things got worse : Someone cracked her in the head with a hammer and placed her in a box in a farm field . But the dog somehow survived and was discovered at a nearby farm with a dislocated jaw , leg injuries and a caved-in sinus cavity . The wounds helped veterinarians piece together what happened , including the hammer blow . ' I 'm assuming that the person who did this meant to put her out of her misery , ' said Sara Mellado , who learned about the dog 's plight on Facebook and took the animal into her Moses Lake home . She named the dog Theia . Recover : Theia is scheduled to go into surgery in a few weeks time after raising money through crowdfunding . New lease of life : Theia , who truly rose from the grave , rarely stops wagging her tail . Back on all fours ! Theia 's injuries include a dislocated jaw and multiple bone fractures around her nasal cavity , which makes it difficult for her to eat and breathe but it looks as though she is truly on the mend . 'Considering everything that she 's been through , she 's incredibly gentle and loving , ' Mellado told The Associated Press . 'She 's a true miracle dog , and she deserves a good life . ' Theia is receiving care at WSU 's Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Pullman . A CT scan of her skull revealed a condition that constricts the nasal passages , restricting air flow into the lungs , said veterinary resident Andrea Sundholm , who 's assisting with Theia 's treatment . It was caused by multiple nasal bone fractures . When Theia tries to draw air in through her nose , she 's forced to open her mouth to breathe instead . But with a dislocated jaw , that is challenging as well . Theia 's jaw is healing on its own , but the nasal-bone fractures have caused lasting problems , Sundholm said . Fixing that will require surgery to insert a stent , she said . Help out : Mellado has raised more than $ 12,000 towards the dog 's surgery using the crowdfunding website GoFundMe . So far , contributions have come from Moses Lake , Washington State University and elsewhere . Ouch ! X-rays of Theia 's skull show the damage that was caused by everything she went through . The veterinary hospital 's Good Samaritan Fund awarded $ 700 to help pay for Theia 's early treatment . Mellado has raised another $ 10,000 for the surgery through a crowdfunding website , and is planning to call WSU to schedule the procedure . The university said despite her injuries , Theia is friendly and likes to kiss people 's cheeks . Mellado said she has been deluged with calls from people seeking to help . Theia is staying with Mellado 's family until they find her a permanent home . 'She 's a puppy , ' Mellado said . 'She 's outgoing , lovable , up for meeting new people . '
A beloved dog was believed to be killed by a driver , but days later , she showed up . Left injured after being run over , someone attempted a misguided mercy killing and beat the dog in the head with a hammer . Now named Theia , her surgery will cost upward of $ 700 .