Fidèle, the most photographed inhabitant of Bruges, has passed away. He was 12 years old. Fidèle was a Labrador retriever who could be seen, weather permitting, lying in an open upstairs window of the B&B Côté Canal. The establishment backs onto the Groenerei canal, which is full of boats popular with tourists, and Fidèle has figured in thousands of holiday snapshots, making him an online sensation.

Fidèle did not have a very distinguished career. He lounged on a cushion at the window, watching the world go by between naps.

And yet his image must have been reproduced millions of times around the world. He figured briefly in the opening scene of the movie In Bruges. Godiva used him in a TV commercial. He has been immortalised on Pinterest and Instagram, on the photo sites Flickr and 500px, and all over Twitter.

His passing became international news last week, popping up on news and travel sites alike, including from Greece, New Zealand and the US.

“He had beaten cancer, but he was sick again,” explained owner Caroline Van Langeraert. “We had to put him to sleep. His ashes were strewn by the animal hospital. We're going to miss him very much; he was my faithful life partner.”

Fidèle’s rise to international fame, TV and movie appearances and his own Wikipedia page came about quite by chance, Van Langeraert said. “One day he just went to lie in front of the window. Since then he's become a favourite of the tourists.”

Since news of his passing broke, she’s received calls from people in other countries who have stayed at the B&B. “They're all broken-hearted, just like the people of Bruges. He was a sweetheart of a dog.”

Van Langeraert still has the company of her Jack Russell, whom keen-eyed viewers of the Godiva ad can see trying – not very successfully – to poke his nose into shot.

Photo courtesy Het Nieuwsblad