LA Church Adds Dogs to Flock

4-year-old sings against 'homos' as parishioners cheers

(NEWSER) - A video of a 4-year-old boy singing "Ain’t no homo gonna make it to heaven" in front of his cheering Indiana church has gone viral—and now the Apostolic Truth Tabernacle Church is dealing with some unpleasant fallout, reports the New York Daily News . The church has been barraged by nasty phone calls and even death threats. In response, the church says it is on "lockdown," with members guarding the building around the clock, and pastor Jeff Sangl and his wife took off suddenly on vacation yesterday without telling anyone where they were going. More»

Those darn Victorians did it

(NEWSER) - Our ignorance about canine history can be blamed, ironically, on our own love for dogs, LiveScience reports. Scientists recently tried tracing dogs' genetic lines—and culling out details of their early domestication—but lost track in the 19th century, when Victorians established today's standard breeds. The 15,000 years that came before that are a "big blurred mess," says a British researcher. "We love them so much, we've completely obliterated their early history and made it more difficult to understand their origins." More»

State Farm alone paid out $109M in claims last year

(NEWSER) - Dog bites are costly things: The nation's insurers paid out about $479 million in claims in 2011, reports AP , which rounds up a hodge-podge of related nuggets:

• State Farm alone paid $109 million to settle 3,800 dog bite claims in 2011, and both figures were up from 2010.
• The average claim nationally is estimated to be $28,799.
• Worst states: California, 527 claims, $20.3 million; Illinois, 309 claims, $10 million; Texas, 219 claims, $5.1 million; and Ohio, 215 claims, $5.4 million.
• Dog bites cost the post office about $1 million a year, though kids in general are far more likely to be bitten than a carrier.

Julie Anne Smith labeled church a 'cult'

(NEWSER) - An Oregon church is suing a woman who called the place a "cult" in a Google review. The defamation suit is seeking $500,000 after Julie Anne Smith allegedly accused the "creepy" church of "indoctrination," reports the Raw Story . "Don’t waste your precious lives and relationships being held emotionally/spiritually captive by this so-called church," Smith wrote, alleging that the pastor knew of a sex offender in the church but had done nothing to protect kids. More»

Rescued dog rescues Massachusetts woman

(NEWSER) - Pit bulls get a lot of bad press, but here's one that put her powerful jaws to good use. Lilly, an 8-year-old Massachusetts pit bull, saved her owner from an oncoming freight train after the woman passed out on railroad tracks late at night. Lilly managed to pull 54-year-old Christine Spain clear in time, but the dog was hit as the driver tried to stop the train. She suffered internal injuries and needed to have her right front leg amputated. Lilly has undergone surgeries twice since the accident, and vets believe she will be able to walk again, ABC reports. More»