Jon Stewart has been making his long-awaited return to host The Daily Show, and fans are loving it. But while there have been plenty of laughs, last night’s episode also featured a real emotional moment from the host.
Stewart couldn’t hold back tears as he announced his beloved pet dog Dipper, a three-legged rescue, had passed away.
At the end of Monday’s Daily Show, Stewart took a pause from his trademark political satire and shared a personal story with the audience. He recalled how 12-13 years ago, his two children wanted to raise money for a NYC no-kill animal shelter, Animal Haven.
The family set up a stand selling cupcakes outside the shelter, and employees brought out one of their dogs: a 1-year-old brindle pitbull who had lost his right leg after being struck by a car in Brooklyn.
Stewart starts to get emotional recalling this first meeting with his beloved dog, pulling out a tissue box from beneath his desk: “I thought I’d get further,” he joked to the audience.
He then explained that he and his family went home with the dog that day, naming him Dipper. “In a world of good boys, he was the best,” Stewart says.
Stewart says he would take the dog to the office every day, and Dipper was part of the “OG Daily Show dog crew.” Over the years, Dipper became a staple of Stewart’s Daily Show routine and got to meet many of the show’s high-profile guests.
“And he did—he did what the Taliban could not do, which is put a scare into Malala Yousafzai,” Stewart joked, playing a clip of Dipper startling the Nobel Peace Prize laureate behind the scenes of the show.
An emotional Stewart then announced that Dipper passed away on Sunday, surrounded by the family. “He was ready. He was tired… but I wasn’t,” Stewart says.
“My wish for you, is that one day you find that dog,” Stewart tells the audience. “That one dog. And just… he’s the best.” He then ended the show dedicating the nightly “Moment of Zen” to footage of Dipper happily playing in the snow.
Stewart, 61, hosted The Daily Show from 1999 to 2015, turning the late night Comedy Central series into a political comedy institution and receiving 22 Primetime Emmy Awards. He returned to the show this month as executive producer and host of Monday night’s shows, and will continue through the election.
