Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit is renaming its annual June fundraiser. Lawyers for Coachella sent a cease-and-desist over the name Pawchella. The shelter renamed the event Pawfest, complied within days, and watched donations arrive from outside Michigan.
The third annual fundraiser runs noon to 8 p.m. on June 13 at the MaryAnn Wright Animal Adoption and Education Center, 16121 Reckinger Road in Dearborn. Printed materials, raffle tickets, and other collateral already bearing the Pawchella name will not be reprinted. On social media, the event is now Pawfest.
Cory Keller, president and CEO of Friends for Animals, said the organization had no idea "chella" was trademarked when the event was created more than three years ago. "We had no idea of the trademark and never had any intention of infringing on it," Keller said in a statement. "As soon as we became aware of the issue, we made the decision to change the event name immediately, even with only a month left before the event."
The legal pressure has had the opposite effect from what Coachella's lawyers likely intended. Friends for Animals reported a surge of out-of-state donations after the story broke. Limited-edition T-shirts bearing the Pawchella name are selling fast at $35 through metrodetroitanimals.org, with a $10 shipping donation. Raffle tickets at $5 each are available at any of the 14 Premier Pet Supply locations across the region, or at the shelter itself.
Goldenvoice, the company behind Coachella, has targeted similar names before. Previous targets include Barkchella, Cowchella, Floatchella, Carchella, Moechella, Afrochella, and Filmchella. Goldenvoice also sent a letter to a Minneapolis literary nonprofit that advocates for writers with intellectual and developmental disabilities over its use of the name Cowchella.
Friends for Animals cares for more than 2,500 dogs and cats each year at the Dearborn center. The fundraiser supports the nonprofit's general operations fund: medical care, food, and services for animals awaiting adoption. The organization was founded in 1996.
The June 13 event runs live entertainment from 12:30 to 8 p.m. with family activities, pet-focused attractions, vendors, and food. The shelter said the mission hasn't moved an inch. "The event's purpose has always been to bring people, community, and animals together for a meaningful cause."
