An emotional Jon Stewart told “The Daily Show” viewers on Monday that his dog, Dipper, the best dog “in a world of good boys,” had died.
“Dipper passed away yesterday,” Stewart said, his voice cracking with sadness. “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 that one day you find that dog — that one dog that is just the best,” he added, before showing a video of Dipper playing ball in the snow.
People were so moved by the segment — and the story he told of how he adopted the three-legged dog from a no-kill shelter in New York City named Animal Haven — that the shelter was immediately flooded with donations.
More than $35,000 has poured in since Monday night, and hundreds of people have fulfilled a wish list for shelter supplies, said Tiffany Lacey, Animal Haven’s executive director. Animal Haven has also gotten many inquiries about adoptions, she said, noting that the shelter has room for about 100 cats and dogs.
Stewart met Dipper, a brindle pit bull mix, about 12 years ago when the puppy was brought to the shelter to be treated and rehabilitated after being hit by a car and losing his leg in Brooklyn, Lacey said.
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Stewart’s children, who were then 6 and 7, were selling cupcakes they’d baked to help raise funds for the shelter. That’s when a staffer brought out the pup and set him in Stewart’s lap, she said.
“Jon sat with this little dog all day and we knew that something special was happening,” she said. “We knew the puppy would be going home with the family.”
Lacey posted a clip of Stewart’s recent segment on the shelter’s Facebook page on Tuesday, along with a tribute:
“Our hearts break alongside Jon and his entire family with the loss of Dipper,” read the post. “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.”
“It really was magic and quickly became obvious that Jon wasn’t going to leave without Dipper,” the post continued.
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“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.”
Followers of the Animal Haven Facebook page commented on Stewart’s connection to his pup.
“I saw this last night and cried along with him,” wrote a follower. “His love for Dipper came through to the multitude of people watching.”
Lacey posted on Facebook again on Thursday night, including some photos of Stewart with Dipper.
“We are humbled and honored to have been the recipient of such an incredible outpouring of support in honor and memory of Dipper,” the post read.
In recognition of the pup, the shelter will offer reduced adoption fees throughout March, Lacey said, hoping to fulfill Stewart’s wish of “helping you find that one dog.”
Stewart, who recently returned to the Daily Show on Mondays, told viewers that Dipper used to accompany him to work each day.
“He was part of the OG Daily Show dog crew,” he said in the segment. “We’d tape the show and Dipper would wait for me to be done. He met actors and authors and presidents and kings, and he did what the Taliban could not do, which was put a scare into Malala Yousafzai.”
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Stewart then showed a video of the young women’s rights activist and Nobel Prize winner running from a barking Dipper at the Daily Show offices, exclaiming, “Oh dear, it’s a dog!”
Yousafzai, shot in 2012 by the Pakistani Taliban because she advocated for girls to be educated, was among those offering tributes to Dipper this week.
“I’m sorry to hear about your loss,” she wrote on X, tagging Stewart. “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.”
Lacey said Stewart and his family have stayed in touch over the years and have come to several Animal Haven fundraisers.
“Jon always told us that Dipper was a huge part of the family’s life,” she said. “One reason everyone is so touched right now is because almost everyone can relate to losing a special pet.”
“Jon’s words touched us all as we thought about his relationship with Dipper,” Lacey added. “Our hearts just can’t help but go out to him.”
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