Leap Day comes around once ever four years, so someone should do something to mark the event, right?

Dozens of homeless bunnies "are leaping at the chance to celebrate" this Friday, according to a news release from Animal Friends. The Ohio Township shelter is putting on what they say is "Pittsburgh's First Hoppy Hour" starting at 7 p.m.

A roomful of some of nature's best leapers will be on hand, and available to meet potential adopters.

The Hoppy Hour will start with a round of Cordelia's Cocktails and Evy's Veggies. The names for the drinks and food are the names of two of the bunnies that are looking for love and a permanent home. At some point there will be a special Bubbly Bunny champagne toast.

There will be a movie too: "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."

Admission is $6, but card-carrying members of Animal Friends get in for free.

Each of the three big Allegheny County animal shelters -- Animal Friends, Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania and Western Pennsylvania Humane Society -- has dozens of rabbits that have been turned in by owners who were unwilling or unable to care for them.

Easter is coming and families might be thinking about getting a rabbit for a family pet. Shelter workers and volunteers urge people to consider adopting one of their bunnies instead of buying one from a pet store. Shelter bunnies already are neutered and pet store bunnies are not. Since the surgery is part of their adoption fee, you generally would save money by adopting a rabbit from a shelter.

Staff and volunteers will be on hand for Hoppy Hour to talk about rabbit care. Rabbits make great house pets and shelter bunnies are already accustomed to using a litter box. They have special diet needs, including the fact that timothy hay is the mainstay of their diet.

Animal Friends is located at 52 Camp Horne Road, in the North Hills.

For more information, send an e-mail to specialevents@animal-friends.org or call 412-847-7055.

Look for more information about rabbits in the next edition of Pet Tales, which will run March 6 in suburban editions of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazete and on our Web site