Lorelai's dog in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life is named Paul Anka.
Paul Anka was introduced in the original series and remains part of Lorelai’s life in the revival. The dog’s name is a tribute to singer-songwriter Paul Anka, whose career includes major pop hits from the 1950s and 1960s.
The revival keeps the pet’s comic personality, including his many fears and highly specific behavior. These details extend a character joke from the original series rather than introducing an unrelated new animal.
A Year in the Life is set nearly a decade after the original show. It follows Lorelai, Rory, Emily, Luke, and other returning characters across four seasonal episodes released by Netflix in 2016.