Updated at 12:47 p.m. after the Memorial Day rally.

AUSTIN — Rep. Jonathan Stickland's decision to kill a bipartisan anti-animal cruelty bill has some of his constituents barking mad.

On Memorial Day, a group of dog owners in Bedford held a "Dogs Against Stickland" 1-mile walk to protest their representative's decision to bring down Senate Bill 295, which would make it a crime to use a chain, weighted leash or short tether to restrain a dog outside. The bipartisan bill would also have required dog owners to ensure that pets have access to shelter, shade and water.

The bill passed easily in the Senate and a House committee, and had one last step — passing on the House floor — before it would have headed to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for his signature or veto.

That's when Stickland blocked further debate on the bill using a legislative maneuver called a "point of order," effectively killing it with just one week left in the session. A self-described "libertarian Republican," Stickland has killed or attempted to derail debate on dozens of bills this year, claiming they infringe on personal liberties, property rights or religious freedom.

A small group of his constituents responded by organizing the walk, which concluded at Stickland's district office in Bedford.

"Jonathan Stickland is Texas' worst legislator!" the Facebook event's description said. "Let's get together in good cheer as a pack and walk our pups from the local park to his office to show our support for good, reasonable legislation and that we do NOT agree with Stickland killing this and many other bills."

A tweet from one of the attendees said 130 people marched for animal rights, many with their dogs.

We started the day off with a moment of silence, and then we spent Memorial Day marching for animal rights. 130 people - many with their pups in tow. #Dogsof92 #HoundStickland pic.twitter.com/33kkLFUPHp — Allison Campolo (@AllisonCampolo) May 27, 2019

Stickland responded to the group last week before the event, asking them to postpone it until after the session ends and he's back in the district.

"All my staff will be in Austin on Monday. It's the last day of the legislative session. You should reschedule when I will be in town. That is, if you want to talk," Stickland wrote on the page. "PS- Be careful on Forest Ridge. Sidewalk is narrow at parts and people regularly speed down it."

But the organizer said they didn't want to push back the event.

"Monday is a symbolic date to march, being the last date of the legislative session. It is also a holiday and most businesses are closed," the organizer told The Dallas Morning News via Facebook Messenger, adding that they discouraged members of the group from leaving flaming bags of dog feces at Stickland's office.

"He shares the building with local businesses and we are not to disrupt those businesses."

Stickland, who also opposed the anti-tethering bill in 2017, provided a more detailed explanation of why he killed the bill Tuesday. Calling it "well-intentioned," Stickland said he wanted several aspects of the bill changed, including lowering the criminal penalty and removing language that penalized dog owners for tethering that causes the dog "pain."

"I killed a poorly written bill that was anti-property rights and full of horrible consequences for animals," Stickland wrote. "I tried to fix it, but Representative [Sarah] Davis, the bill author, refused to work with me."

Davis, R-Houston, is dealing with a family medical emergency and could not be reached for comment Friday. But one of the bill's other co-sponsors said Stickland's decision to kill the bipartisan bill would mean animals would remain in danger for another two years.

"We are friends," Rep. Ina Minjarez, D-San Antonio, told The News. "But he thinks of pets as property. ... At the end of the day, animals suffer."

Stickland is a dog owner. He has two golden retrievers, Penny and Max.