Unless you can track down someone involved with the actual filming, or find some outtakes, it’s impossible to know for sure either way. It’s easy to believe a non American film crew would have little care for the fate of cute fuzzy animals.
There are scenes in the original 1963 The Incredible Journey where I wonder how the dogs (and cat) weren’t in real danger. There are stunts even in the original 1974 Benji movie that probably wouldn’t be allowed today.