Americans have always fought over the use of the death penalty and whether or not it is humane. Different methods for this have been argued and changed for centuries.
The right of a patient to refuse treatment is based upon five constitutional protections [1]: n the 8th amendment's protection against cruel and unusual punishment n the 1st amendment's protection of free speech (freedom of thought / ideas) n the 1st amendment's protection of freedom of religion n the more broadly interpreted right to privacy n the 14th amendment's protection of liberty (the right to be free from unjustified intrusions on personal security).
The Supreme Court, in 1986, ruled that according to the Eight Amendment a legally insane, which is not the same as being mentally ill, prisoner could not be executed because it is "cruel and unusual punishment"(Davison and Neale, p539).
Breed-specific legislation doesn't work. The laws are only adding to the expense of the community and punishing responsible owners while getting no effictive solution. The solution lies in laws that address the real problem of irresponsible owners.