Heartbreaking moment Jon Stewart breaks down in tears on The Daily Show as he reveals his three-legged rescue pit bull Dipper has died

Jon Stewart broke down in tears during Monday night's episode of the The Daily Show as he revealed that his three-legged pit bull had died.

The comedian, 61, said Dipper had come into his life over a decade ago and passed away over the weekend.

'Dipper passed away yesterday,' Stewart said through tears. 'He was ready. He was tired. But I wasn't.'

Jon Stewart, 61, revealed that his beloved three-legged pit bull, Dipper, had passed away over the weekend during Monday night's episode of The Daily Show

The comedian struggled to fight back tears throughout the broadcast as he recalled how he and his children picked Dipper up as they were raising money for a no-kill shelter

Dipper, who was adopted from Animal Haven in New York City, lost his right leg after he was hit by a car in Brooklyn

On the day Dipper came into their lives, Stewart took his children, who were around six and seven years old at the time, to a fundraiser for the New York City animal shelter Animal Haven.

His son and daughter had baked cupcakes and set up a table outside the no-kill shelter, Stewart explained.

'And as a little extra incentive, they brought out this one-ish-year-old brindle pit bull who - ' The host swore and pounded the table as the tears became too much to bear.

'Was hit by a car in Brooklyn and lost his right leg,' he finished, voice hoarse.

'It was the perfect idea, they put the dog in my lap. And we left that day feeling really good that we'd helped this great organization.

'And we also left with this - ' Stewart paused again, voice breaking. 'One-ish-year-old brindle pit bull. We called him Dipper, and in a world of good boys, he was the best.'

Stewart recalled Dipper's daily visits to set, where he became a member of the 'OG Daily Show dog crew' and met 'actors and authors and presidents and kings.'

'And he did what the Taliban could not do, which is put a scare on Malala Yousafzai,' Stewart joked.

He shared a clip of the Nobel Peace Price laureate panicking upon spotting Dipper backstage, drawing laughter from the audience.

'But boy, my wish for you is one day you find that dog, that one dog that just is the best,' Stewart finished.

'In a world of good boys, he was the best,' Stewart said of the beloved family dog

Fighting tears, he recalled how Dipper would make daily visits to set, where he would hang out with other crew members' dogs and wait for the show to finish taping

Stewart also changed his profile picture 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 and presidents and kings,' even giving civil rights icon Malala Yousafzai a scare

Monday night's episode ended on a home video of Dipper running around a snowy yard as Stewart whispered encouragement

The show ended on a home video of Dipper chasing a ball of snow around a frosty yard.

'Dipper, who's got the ball there?' Stewart could be heard whispering, egging him on as he played gleefully.

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 lasting through the 2024 election.