In my opinion, the SPCA definitely is presently the best vehicle to care for the welfare of animals, simply because this society is the only one given legal powers, poor as they are, to have any effect against cruelty, or for many other reasons to take care of animals.

To incite cruelty to an animal is a criminal act. Therefore policing has to be in place.

Cruelty should be defined as deprivation of any one, or any combination of:
Adequate and proper food, clean fresh water, shelter and adequate social opportunities.
Definition of cruelty must also include any kind of abuse, physical or mental, any neglect of an ill animal and any animal suffering from injury, or pain.

I believe the Special Constable of the SPCA, properly trained to be able to assess and handle animals, must have powers under the Police Act and therefore be governed by same. This means a Special Constable would have mandatory training similar to that of a municipal police force.
I believe this would be the only way, with a workable animal cruelty bill, to effectively police cruelty crimes and give animals the welfare they need.

I can now hear the screams of the Human Rights Activists.

All I want to say to this is, that I think it is high time for these people to realize, that we humans are just an other species in the animal world, and a poor one at that. Even so, all species of life forms on this earth have rights, but we do not have the right to abuse other species, no more than our own. However some of us do abuse and worse.
And that, after all, is why we need the police.
And with capable management there would be no more discretionary enforcement than with any municipal police.

Although in my opinion, the top management (Board of Directors and CEO plus some other managers) of the BCSPCA presently appear poorly equipped (according to what I hear and read and my own experience) to properly manage such Special Constables.
So, again in my opinion, it may not be advisable to create such a powerful force under this present management. Though this can be changed, and hopefully soon.

I am really tired of reading questions, such as: What is cruelty and what is critical distress.
For heaven's sake, get your head together.
Cruelty is cruelty, no matter how severe and distress is distress, critical or not, and if a veterinarian can not determine how critical a distress is, he should get a second and third opinion, as a good Vet would.
And what standards do the Special Constables adhere to.?
The Police Act and the SPCA Constitution and Bylaws of course, what else..
And about giving police powers to a private organization, the SPCA is not a private organization, it is driven almost entirely by public donations, it is a public organization, directed by a Board of Directors, consisting of volunteers from the public.

After all, truly private firms, such as security businesses, employing armed persons acting under the Police Act, do not cause anyone to be concerned.