Jon Stewart breaks down in tears as he pays tribute to his dog on 'The Daily Show'

FILE-Host Jon Stewart at "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" covers the Midterm elections in Austin with "Democalypse 2014: South By South Mess" at ZACH Theatre on October 28, 2014 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Comedy Central)

Jon Stewart became emotional during a recent episode of "The Daily Show" when the host and comedian honored his late dog Dipper.

"Dipper passed away yesterday. He was ready. He was tired, but I wasn’t. And the family, we were all together," Stewart said.

During the segment, the political commentator shared a story explaining that 12 years ago, his kids wanted to raise money for an animal shelter in New York City called Animal Haven.

RELATED: Jon Stewart returns to 'The Daily Show' for 2024 election cycle

Stewart explained that his kids baked cupcakes and set up a table outside the shelter to sell the baked goods, and the staff at the animal shelter brought out a brindle pitbull who lost his right leg after being struck by a car.

After a brief pause, the comedian continued that the staff placed the dog in his lap, and they took him home. 

"In a world of good boys, he was the best," he shared, remembering his beloved dog.

"Dipper would come to the Daily Show everyday and went on to become part of the "OG Daily Show dog crew," Stewart said.

"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."

During the episode, the show aired a clip of Yousafzai turning away at the sight of Dipper when she was a guest on "The Daily Show." 

"My wish for you is one day you find that dog, that one dog… It’s just… It’s the best," Stewart concluded. 

The host ended the segment with a video of Dipper running through the snow. 

Stewart, who hosted "The Daily Show" for 16 years, returned in January as host of the popular late-night program. He’s currently hosting the show once a week through the duration of the 2024 elections cycle. And there will be a revolving lineup of hosts for the remainder of the week.

This story was reported from Washington, D.C.