It may be considered a rags-to-riches story – or for the season, a small holiday marvel.

Cats and dogs are decked out in holiday style for the eight covers of “Santa Paws,” a Missouri Lottery Scratchers game. Among them, you’ll find Wendell, a tabby, and Cassidy, a calico, primped in bows and Santa hats. They are Richmond kitties.

How two homeless kittens found their way out of the Richmond Animal Control shelter and into a high-dollar photo studio took some karma – specifically Karma’s Rescue.

“Whenever she needs a cat or kitten (for a photo shoot), she calls me,” said Katie Lappin, creator of Karma’s Rescue, a no-kill animal rescue service. The “she” is a nameless Kansas City woman who is like a talent scout, Lappin said. And their relationship throughout the year has made Lappin a “cat-lady talent scout.”

To adopt an animal or donate to Karma’s Rescue, contact Lapin at 816-509-6006 or Karm...@hotmail.com.