Wesley, are you okay with a hug from another old coot? Just be glad you didn't do the wrong thing, reflexively, and wind up with a tragedy. As already noted, no way to know if there was negligence on the part of the dog's owner, or if it was just a sad thing that happened for all concerned.
I was driving home through uptown in Chicago at night and hit an ominous large, soft bump. A small dog had run in front of the car so close I didn't even see him. I got pulled over just in time to see him die. The area was solid with apartment buildings, and generally considered one of the meanest areas in town; I just couldn't see that it was realistic to try to track down an owner.
25 years ago. I'm not going around haunted by it, but it's still a miserable memory if something brings it up.
                     Dean