FC Dallas soccer fans know what Sam Junqua can do on the field. What they might not know is that Junqua is also a force off the field -- for animals in need.
Junqua and his longtime girlfriend, Emma Besier, are passionate about fostering kittens, the ones "most at risk of being put down."
The couple has a full house right now with a rescue dog, Cocoa, and their three cats, Mocha, Mabel and Yuna. Their two foster kittens, Blaze and Ember, share a pen set up in the living room.
"They're about eight weeks old now, so we'll probably have them for about 5 or 6 more weeks," says Besier.
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Junqua and Besier started fostering kittens during the COVID-19 pandemic when Junqua played for Houston Dynamo FC. They discovered a litter of kittens about to be put down, so they swooped in for the save and were soon hooked on being foster pet parents.
After Junqua was traded to FC Dallas in February, the couple started working with the animal rescue group Dallas Pets Alive! The group's foster director, Jenay Bennett, explained why fostering makes such a big difference.
"It makes room for another animal in another kennel space at the shelter, so really you're not only saving one life, but you're saving two," said Bennett.
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Junqua and Besier have now fostered a total of nineteen kittens. Junqua jokes about the number.
"They come in groups of five, so it comes quick."
He says his FC Dallas teammates are good sports about it.
"They tend to think we're a little bit crazy because of how many cats we have in the house at one time."
Besier wants people to know that anyone can make a lifesaving difference for an animal. "Try and open your home and open your heart to help the animal because not everyone is willing to step up and do it," she said.
Junqua has also discovered that fostering benefits him.
"It's a way for me to disconnect and be present off the field. So I think in that sense it helps me to lead a more balanced life." So much so, that he and Besier can't imagine their life without kittens. "We find a lot of meaning in it," he says. "I've grown to really like them."
