I've got you, buddy! Heart-melting scenes as Jon Stewart reassures his tired three-legged pup during daily walk

PUBLISHED: 11:14 EST, 6 May 2013 | UPDATED: 12:04 EST, 6 May 2013

He's a massive dog lover, and a a huge advocate of that most maligned of breeds - the Pitbull.

And the 50-year-old satirist and Daily Show helmsman isn't afraid of taking on a special needs pup as heart-melting scenes in New York on Sunday proved.

Stewart was spotted encouraging his three-legged Pit, Champ, as they walked together in the Tibeca area of the city.

Animal lover: Jon Stewart walked his three-legged dog, Champ, in Tribeca, New York on Sunday... he's a massive Pitbull advocate

Champ obviously tires more easily than other dogs, but he's besotted owner was determined to encourage and reassure the sweet thing when he plonked himself down for a rest in the sunshine.

Stewart has two other Pits, Shamsky and Monkey.

In 2008, he hit back about Sarah Palin's pejorative comments about Pitbulls and hockey moms.

He said: 'One is unfairly maligned in spite of evidence that it is no worse than any other dog, and one is an artificial demographic that is no better or worse than any other mom.'

We'll be home soon: Jon coaxed his best friend into moving along after the walk became too tiring

Time to go: The twosome were soon headed off home

And they're off: The satirist's dog whispering ways worked a treat

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart is 'pretty much dog nirvana,' according to Bark magazine, and there are often around a dozen dogs roaming free amongst the desks.

'The first thing new employees, show guests and visitors notice are the dogs,' Claudia Kawczynska reported.

'Free-ranging and ubiquitous, they have become an integral part of the office landscape: roaming, playing or lying about, with toys scattered everywhere. They attend staff meetings, share office chairs [and] charm the celebrity guests.'