Deckard responds that owning more than one animal would be more immoral than not having any. Deckard then consults his copy of the latest issue ofSydney’s Animal & Fowl Catalogue, the definitive pricing guide for authentic animals. Deckard notices the italicized price means that Sydney’s is currently out of stock, and Bill explains that the reason Sydney’s doesn’t have a Percheron colt in stock is because of its rarity. The two men continue to discuss animal ownership when Bill reminds Deckard that Deckard owns a sheep, and that every family in the building seems to own at least one animal of some sort. Deckard then goes to his own sheep and searches around under the animal until, to Bill’s surprise, he finds the animal’s control panel. Bill responds sympathetically and asks how long Deckard has had the ersatz sheep. Deckard explains that he started with a real sheep, given to him by Iran’s father when he emigrated, but that the sheep caught tetanus from a hidden wire in it’s hay and died. Deckard then describes how owning an ersatz animal feels similar to the real thing except for the aspect of secrecy involved, even down to the repair shop’s anonymous white truck that comes for house calls. Deckard bids farewell to Bill and heads towards his hovercar. Bill promises not to tell anyone about Deckard’s sheep due to the fact that some people might be upset about the death of the real sheep. Deckard explains that he desperately wants a real animal, but that his salary won’t afford him one. Bill suggests that Deckard look into buying a cat, but Deckard explains that he doesn’t want a domestic animal but a large animal like a sheep or even a horse. Deckard then silently considers how many androids he would have to retire in order to receive enough bounty money to afford a large animal. He decides that five androids at 1,000 dollars apiece would be enough, but he also recognizes that Dave Holden, San Francisco’s senior bounty hunter, would have to either retire or die before Deckard would have a chance at that kind of mission.

Bill then suggests that Deckard buy a cricket or even a mouse in an attempt to be funny, but Deckard responds by warning Bill that he could find his horse dead when Bill returns home from work some evening. Bill apologizes for offending Deckard, but Deckard doesn’t respond and silently gets into his hovercar.

Analysis
Philip Dick’s novel, Do androids Dream of Electric Sheep, was written in 1968 at a time when the Cold War was in full effect. The potential for nuclear war between Russia and the United States served as a strong influence for writers during that time. Fitting with the fearful tone of those times, Dick’s novel paints a dreary picture of Earth after World War Terminus (WWT), a war that has rendered Earth almost entirely useless due to the amount of radioactive dust that it created.

In the first chapter, these changes are indicated by references to devices such as mood organs and mechanical, or ersatz, animals. The introduction of these devices in this chapter foreshadows the prominence of the theme of authenticity as the crucial standard by which humans gauge their quality of life.

The mood organ is a machine that dictates the user’s emotional disposition, or mood, according to a pre-set schedule. A struggle to achieve emotional authenticity is evidenced by the varying ways in which people use the mood organ. Rick Deckard, the novel’s main character, uses his mood organ to achieve a sense of optimism as he prepares to leave for work so that he can feel "a creative and fresh attitude towards his job." In contrast, Deckard’s wife Iran uses her mood organ as a means to explore a variety of emotions, including depression, in an attempt to mimic a more authenticated response to the deteriorated quality of life provided by continued existence on Earth.

The significance of authenticity is further highlighted in the way humans regard ownership of animals. Because of their rarity, real animals have become coveted possessions. Ownership of an animal is considered a symbol of economic success. The exclusivity of owning real animals has resulted in the creation of mechanical animals. These cheaper, near-perfect substitutes for authentic animals come complete with hidden control panels that dictate their movement and behavior so realistically that they are mistaken for the real thing. This is important because ownership of an ersatz animal is shameful and not openly discussed. The extent to which authentic animals are valued is maintained by the extreme confidentiality with which the companies that service ersatz animals operate. Deckard owns an ersatz sheep and doesn’t readily disclose this information to his neighbor, Bill Barbour, who owns a valuable authentic mare. When Deckard does confess the falsity of his animal, his neighbor’s response is one of sarcasm and sympathy.