The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is once again raising more than a few eyebrows, this time by giving away a free vasectomy to any man who's recently had his pet neutered.

"It's a two-fer: Get your animal companion fixed, and get yourself fixed too!" the group declares in the online promotion material for the contest, which runs through April 27.

How does a man getting a vasectomy help animals, you may wonder?

It seems PETA believes that humans are taking up too much space, crowding the planet and taking up precious resources that could be given to animals.

"Human overpopulation is crowding out animal life on the planet, and dog and cat overpopulation is creating a euthanasia crisis that is a crying shame," the group explains.

"Disappearing wilderness, vanishing water resources, and pollution is the price that future generations will pay for more human births, while losing their lives is the price that millions of homeless dogs and cats pay when guardians neglect to 'fix' their companion animals."

It goes on to say that the best way to combat the pet overpopulation crisis is to have cats and dogs neutered. "And with a global population of almost 7 billion humans, more of our species could use a (voluntary) snip too," the group adds 

PETA says the contest is in honour of National Infertility Awareness Week -- even though that week, organized by the infertility awareness group Resolve, is dedicated to humans who actually want to reproduce, but are not able to do so.

Nevertheless, PETA is offering to make one lucky man "reproduction-free." All they have to do is provide proof that they had a pet neutered in the last month and then provide a short answer to the question, "Why should PETA neuter you?"

Whoever is selected the winner must then undergo the vasectomy within 12 months, at which point PETA will offer reimbursement for the cost of the procedure, to a maximum of US$500.