Photo Provided Rock star Lita Ford offers opportunities to meet her by people buying raffle tickets and supporting Belmont County Pawsitive Placements and Harrison County Dog Pound volunteer’s spaghetti dinner fundraiser.

BRIDGEPORT — What’s better than a spaghetti dinner?

Eating spaghetti and getting a chance to meet a rock star.

People who support Belmont County Pawsitive Placement and the Harrison County Dog Pound at their spaghetti dinner fundraiser could win the chance to meet Lita Ford and see her in concert. The organizations are joining forces for their first-ever joint fundraiser — a spaghetti dinner from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 2, at Moran Family Center, 68583 Scott St., Bridgeport. The dinner will cost $10 a person for adults and $5 per child 12 and under.

Ford, who sings the hit song “Close My Eyes Forever” with Ozzy Osbourne, has given the opportunity for people to win prizes involving her at the fundraiser.

The first-place prize is for one person to win a “couple-hour” meet and greet with her and her band, an autographed guitar, photos with her and tickets to her concert in September in Warrendale, Pennsylvania. Second and third prizes are two tickets to the show and a T-shirt.

Pawsitive Placements and Harrison County Dog Pound volunteers will be selling tickets for a chance to win all of the opportunities with Ford on Sunday at the fundraiser, with the drawing Sept. 6.

“She became a personal friend of mine last year,” Ashley Barto, founder of Pawsitive Placements, said. “And she supports dogs. She has dogs of her own. And I am absolutely honored that somebody like that, a celebrity, would offer to help us out the way that she has stepped up to the plate and done so.”

The dinner includes spaghetti, meatballs, salad, bread and a drink with homemade red sauce, vodka sauce and alfredo sauce to choose from. Patrons can dine in or take out. Call 740-582-9096 to place an order.

“I think it’s a good thing that animal groups can work together,” Barto said.

“And you know, I’ve learned a lot from the Harrison County Dog Pound volunteers, I’ve learned a lot from them. They’ve taken me under their wings.”

The Harrison County Dog Pound pays for dogs’ vetting needs because it is a non-commissioned shelter, so the funds raised at the dinner will go toward the vetting.

Pawsitive Placements, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is raising funds to build the first Belmont County noncommissioned dog rescue shelter and also helps those who need help feeding their dogs and promoting adoption. The funds raised at the dinner will go toward the plans to build the shelter.

At the fundraiser, there will be a 50/50 drawing as well and an auction with some gift certificates from Belmont County hair salons, wine and other small items. Along with the 50/50 and auction will be a bake sale featuring homemade goodies such as apple and coconut pies, cake, cookies and bread.

Pampered Chef will attend as a vendor along with other local vendors, such as ones who sell candles and freshies. The dog organizations will get $1 for every item sold by the vendors.

“We gotta help these dogs. We gotta help dogs all over the county, all over the state,” Barto said. “But our main priority is Belmont County and Harrison County. Dogs are a very important issue with me and a lot of other individuals. So,it’s very important if you want to see dogs get a chance at life instead of being thrown in, you know, a kennel for the rest of their lives, or even euthanized.”

Barto is hoping to spread awareness of dog issues at the fundraiser.

Harrison County Dog Warden Cindi Yanez said what makes this fundraiser special is that organizations helping dogs are coming together for their first-ever joint fundraiser, and she is pleased they can join forces to better a dog’s life.

“Organizations who help dogs can all work together as a team,” Barto said. “We all have the same goals. I mean, it’s a group effort, and I’m honored to be able to work with other organizations, especially in another county.”