Jon Stewart broke down in tears on The Daily Show as he revealed that his three-legged pit bull has died.
The comedian, 61, said Dipper came into his life more than a decade ago and passed away over the weekend.
“Dipper died yesterday,” Stewart said. ‘He was ready. He was tired. But I wasn’t.’
Jon Stewart, 61, revealed that his beloved three-legged pit bull, Dipper, had died this weekend during Monday night’s episode of The Daily Show
The comedian struggled to hold back tears during the broadcast as he recalled how he and his children picked up Dipper while raising money for a no-kill shelter.
Dipper, adopted from Animal Haven in New York City, lost his right leg after being hit by a car in Brooklyn
He explained how he took his children, who were about six and seven years old at the time, to a fundraiser for the Animal Haven animal shelter in New York City.
His son and daughter baked cupcakes and set up a table outside the no-kill shelter, Stewart explained.
“And as an added incentive, they brought out this one-year-old brindle pit bull who -” The host swore and punched the table as the tears became too much to bear.
“Was hit by a car in Brooklyn and lost his right leg,” he finished in a hoarse voice.
‘It was the perfect idea, they put the dog on my lap. And we left that day feeling really good that we had helped this great organization.
“And we also left with this…” Stewart paused again, her voice breaking. “One year old brindle pit bull. We called him Dipper, and in a world of good boys, he was the best.”
Stewart remembered Dipper’s daily visits to settle in and get better part of the ‘OG Daily Show dog crew’ while waiting in the office with other team members’ dogs.
“And he met actors and authors and presidents and kings. And he did what the Taliban couldn’t do, which was scare Malala Yousafzai,” Stewart joked.
He shared a video of the Nobel Peace Prize winner panicking when she saw Dipper backstage, which made the audience laugh.
“But boy, my wish for you is that one day you find that dog, that one dog that is just the best,” Stewart said.
“In a world of good boys, he was the best,” Stewart said of the beloved family dog
Fighting back tears, he recalled how Dipper visited the set every day, hanging out with other crew members’ dogs and waiting for the show to finish filming.
Stewart also changed his profile photo on X, formerly Twitter, to a photo of Dipper to honor the pup’s life
He explained how the rescue dog “met actors and authors, presidents and kings,” even scaring civil rights icon Malala Yousafzai.
Monday night’s episode ended with a home video of Dipper running through a snowy yard as Stewart whispered encouragement
The show ended with a home video of Dipper running through the icy yard, chasing a ball of snow.
“Dipper, who has the ball?” Stewart whispered in the background, egging him on as he watched the dog play happily.
The host also changed his profile picture on X, formerly Twitter, to a photo of his beloved dog.
Stewart hosted the satirical news program from 1999 to 2015. He has returned to the anchor desk for a one-night-a-week stint through the 2024 election.