The question has been asked by canine lovers for generations: How unfair does it seem that the life of a dog is so short when compared to the life of its humans?

The life of Freddie the bichon frisé from Melbourne certainly wasn’t short where others of his kind are concerned: He lived to be nearly 20 years old, one of the longest-lived bichons in breed history, and beloved every step of the way.

Freddie came into the lives of Peter and Marina Camaj in 2004, when he was about a year old, a purebred who belonged to one of Marina Camaj’s friends; they met at a bunco game at the friend’s house. The fluffy little white dog, then named Kelly and officially Summers Cute Cuddles, scampered to Camaj and didn’t want to leave her.

“Throughout that evening that little puppy warmly hugged me and wouldn’t leave my side. Later that evening, (her friend) asked if I could take her little puppy, and before I answered, she had his paperwork, toys and bedding ready,” Marina Camaj said.

She didn’t have time for the dog because of her work schedule, her friend told Camaj. “Please take him to your home.”

“Well, I said yes, and quickly upon returning to my home and meeting my kids, that beautiful, furry puppy turned into part of our family,” Camaj said.

Kelly became Freddie after the Camajes’ son Michael, then 2 years old, renamed him, and in his mother’s words, “Michael would grow up with him.”

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The fifth of the Camaj children, as it turned out, became “my son, my child, the sweetest, most gentle and loving little thing. He was our family (member) . . . “He was a part of all our events, no different than my (human) children. If I was away, the kids would videotape him eating and drinking so we would know he really was being treated right, getting (nutrition). I can’t tell you how much love he gave us all those years.”

As those years sped by, Freddie slowed a little, but his affectionate nature never changed, nor did his importance to his humans. On each of his birthdays, celebrated with hats and cake, Marina found herself “asking God for just one or two more years, and I guess he wanted to stay as long as he could.”

Long is right. The average lifespan of a bichon frisé is about 14 years, according to the Bichon Frisè Club of America, but, “We have substantiated reports of bichons reaching age 21 and unsubstantiated reports of a few that were said to reach age 22,” Anne Jones wrote for the BFCA health committee in bichon.org.

Still, that’s rare, and Freddie was a rare dog. Ever “full of life and wanting to be in everybody’s lap,” “Old Man Fred,” as the Camaj kids, now young adults, called him, was slightly blind and developed kidney disease.

Marina moved to a spare room so he could sleep next to her and she could take him out when needed without disturbing anyone.

Then, in springtime of this year, clearly in pain, and after he gave out “a strange little cry,” the Camajes rushed him to an emergency veterinarian.

On June 3, the Camajes said farewell to Freddie the bichon after nearly 20 years.

It has been painful, Marina admits, and she still seeks corners in her house where she can catch a little of his scent, goes over places that were important to him or the two of them, together. His ashes never are far from her eyes or mind. Her voice breaks when she speaks of him.

“We believe that any animal living with a family must be loved and valued as a member of that family, for, as my grandmother would say, “Those who love animals are closer to God”. We have such love for Freddie, who graced our lives since he was a puppy,” Camaj said.

“Do you know how they say you should give a dog a good home? Well, I think we gave him a good home, but he’s given us so much more in return,” she said. “Freddie was one of a kind and I miss him so much.”

Dowling is a Suntree-based freelance food and lifestyles writer.