Rabbits, and the people who love them, are invited to a free party next Saturday to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Pittsburgh House Rabbit Club.

You don't have to be a rabbit owner or a club member to come and watch the rabbits run, romp and socialize from 2 to 4 p.m. Animal lovers can enjoy the "show" and can learn whether a bunny might be a good family pet.

About 40 people went to the first meeting in July 2005. There are now 400 people on the club's mailing list. Free monthly meetings rotate through Pittsburgh's three shelters, which all find new homes for rabbits whose owners are unwilling and unable to care for them.

This month's meeting, the July 17 party, is at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, 1101 Western Ave., North Side. If you're going you must RSVP by e-mail -- mary@cvetan.com -- by Wednesday. Visiting rabbits must be transported in carriers and owners must bring a rabbit exercise pen to the party.

First-time owners "are charmed by how much personality rabbits have," said club co-founder Mary Cvetan, who adopted her first rabbit eight years ago. "They are social animals. They come when you call them and they love to cuddle."

Every year hundreds of domestic rabbits are turned in to the local Humane Society, Animal Friends and the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania. Many started out as "Easter Bunny" gifts to children. The mission of the Pittsburgh House Rabbit Club is teaching proper care and handling techniques that enable bunnies to be pleasant and happy pets.

Unlike dogs, rabbits aren't leash-walked outdoors, but they need indoor exercise and play time. They should not spend all of their time in a cage, and they should not live outdoors, where they can be killed by roaming cats and dogs or by hawks. They can also die from "fly strikes" when insects lay eggs on their fur. Like cats, rabbits can be trained to use a litter box.

Here's some other fun and helpful rabbit facts:

• They can peacefully co-exist with many dogs and cats.

• Rabbits come in different sizes and different breeds. The 2- and 3-pound breeds are generally less affectionate and harder to handle than the bigger 10- and 12-pound bunnies.

• They live 8-12 years.

• Homes must be "bunny-proofed" because furry pets have died from nibbling on electric cords and plugs.

• With rabbits, two are better than one because they keep each other company. The shelters have "bonded pairs." Have one bunny and want another? Take your bunny on a "blind date" to meet a shelter rabbit that will be a good match.

• All rabbits should be neutered because adult females are always fertile and can breed every 30 days.

• Rabbits don't live on carrots and lettuce. Their dietary needs includes lots of fresh hay. What kind of hay? Where do you buy it? The club has the answers to this, and all questions about rabbits.

Here's a sample of shelter rabbits looking for permanent homes. All are neutered, affectionate and litter box-trained:

Rodger Rabbit and nine very young brothers and sisters were taken to the Humane Society in November 2009 by a woman who mistakenly thought she had purchased two females at a flea market. His siblings have all found homes, and staff and volunteers can't figure out why the sweet 10-pound black bunny, of the silver fox breed, has not found a home.

Big, white rabbits Pandora and Pamela are a mother and daughter pair at the Animal Rescue League. They are Flemish giant/French-lop mixes that enjoy running in indoor open spaces.

A brown-and-black Harlequin named Suaz is a favorite at Animal Friends, where she is the namesake of staffer Suaz Forsythe, whose titles include "head rabbit wrangler." She loves people and when Suaz (the bunny, not the lady) is happy she rolls over on her side.

Go to www.pittsburghhouserabbit.org for further information.

Fred Bainbridge, 45, of Crafton, will stand trial in connection with the Feb. 13 hit-and-run accident that injured Seamus Tait of Crafton and killed one of the dogs he was walking on Broadhead Avenue -- a 5-year-old Labradoodle named Dublin.

District Judge Dennis R. Joyce ruled on July 1 that Assistant District Attorney Summer Carroll met the burden of proof needed to send the case to Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.

Mr. Bainbridge is charged with a misdemeanor offense: accident involving death or personal injury. The formal arraignment will be Aug. 23. A trial date has not been set yet.