Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Dec. 20 (UPI) -- A veterinarian doing a teeth cleaning on a rescue dog in Florida removed a stick that was lodged in the canine's mouth for an estimated three or four years. The Friends of Strays shelter in St. Petersburg said Buddy, an 8-year-old dog rescued from a county shelter in November, was receiving a teeth cleaning Thursday when the veterinarian discovered a stick lodged horizontally across the dog's mouth, wedged between two molars. Advertisement "It completely sort of embedded its way into the roof of his mouth, sort of creating a bridge," Friends of Strays spokeswoman Holly Clare told WFTS-TV. "It caused both of his teeth to rot on either side so our vet team had to extract both of them." The stick appeared to have been lodged in place for three or four years. "Thankfully he is going to feel so much better moving forward," the shelter said in a Facebook post. Buddy's foster owner finalized his adoption Thursday, giving him a forever home with her family. Read More Firefighters rescue dog stranded in a tree after chasing cat Loose dog causes chaos during bicycle race in Belgium Dog with head stuck in wheel rim rescued in California