- Simon’s Town celebrates Just Nuisance’s 80th anniversary this weekend
- The festival features a walk, cake, and various dog contests
- Just Nuisance, a Great Dane, was a beloved naval mascot
This week marks the 80th anniversary of the death of Just Nuisance, the first dog in history to be awarded an official Royal Navy rank. In April, canines and humans gather in the naval enclave of Simon’s Town for a celebration of his life that includes cake, walkies, and a pipe band. The previous year, approximately eighty canines attended. The festival for this year begins at 10 am on Saturday, April 6.
Cathy Salter, curator of the Simon’s Town Museum, is ecstatic that the dog’s legacy of upliftment of human spirits endures: “During World War II, when the majority of sailors passing through Simon’s Town were young, there was a terrible conflict,” she says. “This dog’s desire to socialize with them meant everything to them.”
Salter said, “Many years ago, we received a photograph of Just Nuisance from a man who had been taken prisoner by the Japanese. “Despite the prohibition on personal belongings, he successfully concealed and retained that photograph for his stay. This indicates the significance that they placed on Just Nuisance.
Just Who Was the Nuisance?
Just Nuisance, a pedigreed Great Dane born April 1, 1937, was acquired by an individual employed at the naval port of Simon’s Town. Salter states, “The dog took an instant liking to the sailors.” “Only those of modest rank, however. “He would not interact with officers,” he declared, recognizing them solely by their logo. According to his biographer, Terrence Sisson, despite the efforts of many mariners to adopt him, “Nuisance was his own master.”
Just Nuisance, weighing 67 kilograms (148 pounds), was “massive” for a Great Dane and “almost human in concept and intelligence,” according to Sisson, an ex-sailor who had firsthand knowledge of the dog. For instance, Just Nuisance would extend a paw after completing his business to request a “handshake” from the nearest human.
Sisson writes that he was given his name in 1938 after being “enticed aboard” the HMS Neptune. He developed the practice of “sunning himself while lying full length” in one of the ship’s busiest areas. The “bewildered crew” had to navigate through this labyrinth of legs and tail, and while they all harbored affection for the dog, their discourse toward him was inappropriate for young children and females to hear. These insults were sanitized in the form of Just Nuisance.
What occurs throughout the festival?
Registration will begin at 9:00 am on April 6 in Long Beach, Simon’s Town; every dog is welcome.
The 50 rands ($3) per dog entrance fee is donated to Tears and the SPCA, two local animal welfare organizations. Volunteer event organizer Esther Le Roux explains that the 1.1-kilometer (0.7-mile) walk, which a Scottish pipe band will conduct, will commence at 10 am. “Biodegradable poop bags and water bowls are provided.”
Birthday cake is distributed in Jubilee Square, at the statue of Just Nuisance, which provides an overlook of the harbor. Attendance is by the first arrive, first served. Le Roux explains that prizes are granted in categories that are “impromptu” and may consist of “most similar dog and human,” “best-dressed dog,” and “closest Just Nuisance lookalike.”
Le Roux exclaims, “I’m overjoyed that it occurs in April; it’s not a silly season, and the tarmac is not hot enough to burn the canines’ paws.” Why should individuals attend? The event is so enjoyable, and there is no real agenda,” she remarks. “Everyone is involved for the common good.”
From where may I acquire further knowledge?
Alternative methods exist for individuals unable to physically attend the event to acquire knowledge about the renowned canine. Just Nuisance is the subject of an extensive section at the Simon’s Town Museum, which also features exhibits concerning the town’s community history, including the town’s forced removals during apartheid.
Since 1985, a bronze statue of Just Nuisance, crafted by the local sculptor Jean Doyle, has been a prominent feature in Jubilee Square, providing a waterfront view. Doyle, who owns a Great Dane, makes every effort to attend the festival. After the original theft, she cast a replacement headwear for Just Nuisance a few years ago. Before you take a selfie with the renowned dog, Salter would like to inform you that the statue is “absolutely insignificant in comparison to being life-size.”
Ultimately, the grave of Just Nuisance can be reached on foot or by vehicle (following the Naval Signal School’s left turn at the summit of Red Hill Road). Be warned: the ascent commences at the summit of Barnard Street and consists of over 300 steps; the sole means of access is upwards. However, the vistas of False Bay are breathtaking.
What motivated Nuisance to join the Royal Navy?
“There is a long and illustrious tradition of animals aboard Royal Navy ships,” states Salter. Bears, leopards, canines, and felines—you name it. However, he was the sole recipient of a rank.
The rationales behind this were relatively mundane. Simply Nuisance developed the practice of traveling to Cape Town via train with his sailor companions, who, according to Sisson, “did not bother to buy him a ticket – thus initiating a vendetta between Nuisance and the South African Railways officials.”
The mariners initially attempted to conceal the “Hercules of Dogdom,” as Sisson termed him, beneath the seats but were unsuccessful. Subsequently, they initiated the process of opening carriage windows to grant Nuisance access to the moving train after the conductor completed his circuit. The situation culminated in the railway company notifying the legitimate owner of the dog that Nuisance, should he persist in boarding the trains, would be spayed.
The sailors reacted angrily to this information, to the extent that the commander-in-chief of the Royal Navy for the South Atlantic region personally issued the decree that “the dog Nuisance was to be formally enlisted as a member of the Royal Navy of His Majesty King George VI.” “Rather than being enlisted as an ordinary seaman, he was elevated to Able seaman,” Salter informed. “His occupation was described as “Bonecrusher,” and his religious affiliation was labeled as “scrounger.”
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According to Sisson, after the dog was enlisted, the British Admiralty “paid for a season ticket that permitted him to ride to Johannesburg if he so desired.”
What took place with Just Nuisance?
“Unfortunately, the sailors developed the habit of feeding him beer over the years,” says Salter. “He sustained injuries to his hind legs as a result of jumping on and off moving lorries while under the influence.”
He was ultimately euthanized on April 1, 1944, his seventh birthday, despite treatment efforts (Sisson writes that he was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital in Simon’s Town and “given a bed ticket and medical chart, just like a human patient”).
Sisson writes that he was interred with complete naval honours at Klaver Camp near Simon’s Town at 11.30 am the following day. As Nuisance was lowered into the grave while encased in a Royal Navy White Ensign, the funeral procession observed buglers delivering the Last Post, and the gathering discharged a volley over the burial. A considerable proportion of the mourners were overcome with weeping.
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