Jon Stewart became emotional on The Daily Show as he revealed that his beloved dog had sadly passed away.
On Monday (February 26), the 61-year-old comedian shared during an episode of the Comedy Central program that his family dog, Dipper, passed away the day before filming.
The political commentator began the segment by opening up about how his family met their late pet around 10 to 12 years ago, but he didn't get far in the story before his emotions spilled over.
Stewart explained that his kids wanted to raise money for an animal shelter in New York City called Animal Haven so they baked cupcakes and set up a table outside the shelter to sell the goods. The staff at the shelter then brought out a pitbull who lost his right leg after being struck by a car.
Watch the emotional moment below:Stewart described Dipper as a "one-ish-year-old brindle pitbull" before choking. He then slammed the table with his fist and said "F***" before pulling out a box of tissues from under his desk. "I thought I’d get further," the emotional host laughed as the tears continued.
After a brief pause, the comedian shared that Dipper had been "hit by a car in Brooklyn and lost his right leg," so the animal shelter employees placed the dog in Stewart's lap, and he eventually took him home.
"In a world of good boys, he was the best," he said, remembering his cherished pooch. Stewart then went on to share Dipper’s adventures with viewers as he revealed the dog had been part of the show’s original crew.
"Dipper would come to the Daily Show every day and went on to become part of the 'OG Daily Show dog crew,'" he quipped. "He met actors and authors and presidents and kings."
"And he did what the Taliban could not do, which is, put a scare into Malala Yousafzai," Stewart added, unveiling a humorous video of the Pakistani education activist turning away at the sight of Dipper when she was a guest on The Daily Show.
After sharing that clip, Stewart revealed that Dipper sadly died on Sunday (February 25), tearfully adding: "He was ready. He was tired. But I wasn't. And the family, we were all together, thank goodness, we were all with him."
"But boy, my wish for you is one day you find that dog, that one dog that just is the best," he concluded before ending the segment with a video of his late pup running through the snow.
Many viewers took to social media to express condolences to Stewart and his family.
One user beautifully penned: "Pet loss is no different than the loss of a close family member - because they are family. I’m not sure if Jon reads comments but the millions of dog people know what he is going through and it sucks."
"A beautiful thing is that every dog is that good dog. It makes saying goodbye so very very hard, but it’s true. They are all the best, goodest dogs," they said, adding: "When you are ready, pour that grief into another. Grief can go somewhere."
Another person shared: "It’s the price we must pay for the love of our dogs. The goodbyes are brutal. So sorry Jon," while a third added: "Nothing like finding that one special dog. Lucky if you can find many in your lifetime. #DipperIsTheBestBoy."
Yousafzai also sent a sweet message to the host, writing: "I’m sorry to hear about your loss, @jonstewart. I know Dipper was a very good boy. I’ve gotten over my fear of dogs and I hope you’ll have me back to meet your next pup."
The host has since changed his profile picture on X (formerly Twitter) to a picture of Dipper and even shared a post thanking everyone for their love and support during this difficult time.
"Hello! A quick thanks for all the kind words and awesome pictures and stories of your special furballs," he wrote. "A reminder that social media isn't entirely a cesspool...just mostly. Here's a couple of shots from the meet cute that began our love affair."
He added "#Dipperisthebestboy," and shared three precious snaps of him and his kids embracing their late dog at the Animal Haven.
Stewart, who hosted The Daily Show for 16 years, returned in January as host of the popular late-night program after Trevor Noah left in 2022.
He has agreed to host each Monday through the election and to executive produce the weeknight show for Comedy Central into next year, according to The Independent.
