The State of the Union, delivered on Tuesday by President Obama, is a tradition encouraging Americans to reflect on the conditions shaping our nation. As the President laid out his vision for improving our country, we hope all Americans take time to consider the most vulnerable members of our society: American children and animals. There is a lot more we could be doing to improve the lives of both.

In the “State of America’s Children” report by American Humane Association, too many respondents said they felt “very” or “extremely concerned” about threats to children, including illicit drugs (83 percent), family violence (72 percent), and physical abuse (70 percent). Eight million children live in homes that struggle to put food on the table, according to the USDA. Americans are also concerned how that food is raised. More than 90 percent of consumers are “very concerned” about animal welfare in agriculture, with good reason: The majority (90 percent) of U.S. farm animals are still not raised under independently verified, scientifically based humane standards. Closer to home, 6-8 million pets are relinquished to shelters each year and half of them never make it out again to loving, forever homes.

There are a great many things in our country that need fixing, but we hope that all Americans will take a moment to consider those who often can’t speak for themselves.

Robin Ganzert,

President and CEO,

American Humane

Association,

Washington, D.C.