Jon Stewart's tearful on-air tribute to dead dog Dipper sparks rush in donations to NYC shelter where he adopted the pup

Jon Stewart's gut-wrenching on-air tribute to his beloved dog that passed last weekend has sparked a rush in donations to the New York City shelter where the longtime comedian adopted the pup. 

Animal Haven, a no-kill shelter for cats and dog, is where Stewart, 61, first met his forever friend, a three-legged Brindle pitbull named Dipper, more than a decade ago.

After Stewart made the announcement during Tuesday's show, Animal Haven's shelter's director, Tiffany Lacey told TMZ that donations have been pouring in. 

As of Thursday, nearly $25,000 has been raised for the dog shelter. 

She shared that some people are inquiring about adoptions, while others are purchasing items of Animal Haven's Amazon Wishlist, including blankets, towels, toys and treats.

John Stewart embracing his beloved Dipper, who he said during his broadcast, 'in a world of good boys...he was the best'

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

Lacey told the news outlet that the donations are coming in at a stellar time, since the shelter is currently full with more than 100 rescue animals - including three dog moms, who recently gave birth to 20 puppies each. 

Animal Haven posted a moving tribute to Stewart and his family on Instagram, earlier this week. 

It read: 'Our hearts break alongside Jon and his entire family with the loss of Dipper.

'Many of our staff remember the bake sale outside the shelter over 11 years ago that Jon references. As soon as Dipper was placed next to Jon, he sat by his side (and visa versa) for the next two hours. They were immediately drawn to each other and inseparable. 

'It really was magic and quickly became obvious that Jon wasn’t going to leave without Dipper. 

'Each day, we place dogs and cats in loving homes. They are all so very lucky. But Dipper really hit the jackpot that day to find a home where the humans living in it aspire to treat animals at the highest level. 

'Dipper went through so much early in his life after being hit by a car and losing his leg but Jon and his family gave him a brand new life that started unwittingly on that fateful day at Animal Haven selling cupcakes with his kids. 

'Dipper lives on now in our hearts and minds as a powerful reminder of the importance of pet adoption and the love that an animal can bring into your life. So here’s to the best boy ever – Dipper. We love you, miss you, and will never forget you.

'The Animal Haven family is grieving with The Stewarts, but we are so incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we have received in honor and memory of Jon and Dipper. 

'From the bottom of our hearts, thank you all for making even more rescue work possible and allowing us to continue our mission of finding cherished homes for cats and dogs in need.'

Dipper, who was adopted from Animal Haven, a no-kill cat and dog shelter, located on Center Street in New York City 

Stewart pictured with Dipper and his two children when they were young 

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

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

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 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

He explained how the rescue dog 'met actors and authors and presidents and kings,' even giving civil rights icon Malala Yousafzai a scare

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.