After inspiring a new dating term, Dr Anthony Fauci’s influence, and name, has found its way into another aspect of mainstream culture.

Over the past year and a half, Americans have become used to seeing the face of the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, and reliant on his advice and guidance amid the pandemic.

As a result, the name of the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has now made its way into the pet name lexicon, with numerous people welcoming pet Faucis into their homes.

The trend, which coincided with an increase in pet adoptions as people found themselves at home more frequently amid lockdown, first began in 2020 with just a few dogs and cats named after Dr Fauci.

Beverly Hills, 90210 star Jennie Garth was one early trend-setter, as she revealed in September 2020 that she had rescued a Chihuahua who she later named Dr Fauci.

By November 2020, there were various reports acknowledging the rise in animals named for the 80-year-old, with pet name inspiration site Rover revealing that Fauci had received an “honourable mention” on its latest list, while other pandemic-inspired names such as Covid and Rona had seen growth of 1,159 per cent and 69 per cent, respectively.

In December, pet insurance site Trupanion also reported an increase in pets named Fauci, as well as after Covid-related terms, while former congresswoman Donna Shalala’s dog Fauci went viral the same month after he amusingly interrupted a live TV interview.

As for why she chose the name for her rescue dog she adopted in July 2020, Ms Shalala, who knows the real Dr Fauci, recently told The Washington Post: “He’s resilient with a happy face” and that he “has Tony’s personality completely. He only barks at huge dogs”.

Megan Broom, who has an Anatolian shepherd-Great Pyrenees mix named after the infectious disease expert, told the outlet that she chose the moniker out of admiration for Dr Fauci, and because the dog has “mask markings, which I thought was a cute coincidence”.

In addition to making pet owners happy, the name also reportedly has a positive impact on those who come in contact with the pets, according to Hilary Mauro, who owns a Cavapoochon puppy named Fauci and who told The Washington Post “everyone cracks up and loves the name” when she walks the dog in Manhattan.

However, she did note that she receives different responses when she’s walking the dog in Florida, where “eye rolls and exasperated sighs” are more common reactions.

As for Dr Fauci’s thoughts regarding his fluffy namesakes, the chief medical adviser to the president told the outlet that he isn’t necessarily flattered, but he does find the phenomenon “interesting”.

“I don’t think I feel flattery about it,” he said, adding: “I just think it’s kind of interesting.”

Dr Fauci then acknowledged that having the love of any dog, no matter the name, is “great”, before admitting that he is considering getting another himself.

“During these stressful times, having a dog who has nothing but love for you is great,” he said.

And while he confirmed that what one decides to name their dog “is entirely up to you”, he did note the weirdness of his name used in certain instances, such as for the name of a female chicken.

“It gets weirder by the moment,” he said after the outlet informed him of the poultry’s moniker.

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