The popularity of dogs and pandemic pets named for Fauci

I know the feeling. My family of four added Fauci, a red-haired labradoodle, to our fold in November. After months of schooling and working from home, we were getting sick of one another; we needed another being to love and care for. In the photos sent by the breeder, our yet-to-be-known dog looked wise, if a little sad, a little world-weary. As it turned out, unlike the human Fauci, our Fauci isn’t especially mighty: If he were to be confronted by unmasked anti-vaccine protesters or Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), he would probably bark a little, then cry and walk away. But we believed in him, and in the months that he has been with us, Fauci has both toughened up and grown friendlier. He loves a good belly rub, but if you try to give him a condescending pat on the head, you’ll get a growl.