Topeka ? The animal rights group PETA is offering to help Kansas with its state budget deficit, but there’s a catch.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said it would pay the state to erect an anti-fishing sign at Miami State Fishing Lake in Fontana. PETA would pay rent for as long as the sign remained.

The sign shows a dog with a fish hook through its lip and reads, “If You Wouldn’t Do This to a Dog, Why Do It to a Fish?”

The offer was made in an e-mail Thursday to Gov. Mark Parkinson.

PETA said it had heard the state of Kansas was considering selling off state assets to help fill a ballooning $500 million revenue gap. Some legislators have discussed selling off state assets, such as office buildings and state-owned land.

“Our proposal would help Kansas stave off the sale of valuable assets and help the fish in Miami State Fishing Lake live in peace,” said PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman.

“If people impaled dogs or cats in the mouth and yanked them into an environment in which the animals couldn’t breathe, they would be charged with cruelty to animals,” Reiman said.

PETA noted that scientific research shows that fish are smart animals that feel pain and that fishing causes them enormous suffering.

Parkinson declined the offer.

His spokeswoman Amy Jordan Wooden said, “Governor Parkinson appreciates the long-standing history and tradition of fishing in Kansas.

“Further, funding the important services in the state budget will require more substantial solutions and he hopes that the incoming governor and legislature will work together to craft a responsible budget.”