Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit has officially changed the name of its “Pawchella” event after being contacted by the legal counsel representing the California music festival Coachella.
The shelter’s third annual fundraiser planned for Saturday, June 13, will now be called “Pawfest,” according to a news release from Friends for Animals.
Members of the non-profit were not aware there was a trademark associated with “chella” and did not intend to violate the trademark, according to the news release.
To comply with the trademark and music festival’s ask, the event is now being promoted as “Pawfest,” though some materials for the event, including raffle tickets, have already been printed and will remain the same.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is held annually in the Coachella Valley of the Colorado Desert in Indio, California. Artists, including Justin Bieber and Sabrina Carpenter, headlined the festival in April.
Pawchella in Dearborn is not the first event to be told by the music festival that it can’t use “chella” in its name. It has also been a no-no for festivals in Connecticut and Minnesota, with news outlets reporting on local festivals being sent cease and desist letters.Though the name of the animal shelter’s fundraiser with live music, food, drinks, vendors and family activities will change, the purpose behind the event will not, Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit President and CEO Cory Keller told the Free Press in a statement on Tuesday, May 12.
“This event has always been about bringing animals and the community together,” Keller said. “That is still the vision for this event. We hope people will still come out and support us so that we can continue to make a difference in the community we serve and in the lives of the animals we care for.”
The event at the Mary Ann Wright Animal Adoption and Education Center in Dearborn “celebrates the joy of animals, community, and second chances,” according to the Wednesday, May 13, news release. It raises funds to help the shelter care for nearly 2,500 animals annually, according to the news release.
The event is taking place from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 13. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children 12 and under. Raffle tickets are available for purchase ahead of the event at 14 Premier Pet Supply stores or at Friends for Animals. T-shirts are available for purchase on the shelter’s website. For more information, visit www.metrodetroitanimals.org.
Contact Natalie Davies at ndavies@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan animal shelter event renamed after Coachella warning
Reporting by Natalie Davies, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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