Not all dogs are alike: a cost-benefit analysis of guide and assistance dogs in the Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic the guide dogs for the blind are recognized as a compensation tool and may be reimbursed up to 100% of the cost; on the other hand, assistance dogs for people in a wheelchair, the deaf, deafblind, or other people with disabilities are not. This thesis explains the concepts of blind person and disabled person, and distinguishes among various types of service dogs. The costs and benefits of guide dogs on one hand, and of assistance dogs for people using a wheelchair on the other, are calculated and the results are compared; it is also examined, whether "favoring" guide dogs by means of providing government support on their acquisition is legitimate, and what it may be caused by. Further, the thesis calculates the maximum possible burden for the state budget if a support for assistance dogs is introduced. It also explores the possible effects of the impact of the introduction of this support on the markets for guide and assistance dogs, respectively