Okay, "Arthur the King" - Heartstrings Pulled, But Did They Cheat Code the Dog?

Alright fellow movie buffs! Just saw "Arthur the King" and had to jump on here. First off, be warned, you WILL need tissues. Seriously, I was a mess. Mark Wahlberg was good, I mean, it's Mark Wahlberg doing the 'gruff guy who cares' thing, so you know what you're getting. But the real star, obviously, is Arthur. I mean, come on, spoiler alert how could you NOT cry when he's hurt and Michael won't leave him behind?! But... (and this is where I get a little cynical), did anyone else feel like they REALLY amped up the drama with Arthur's story? I googled the real-life Arthur (the original Mikael Lindnord's dog), and while the bond is obviously real and amazing, it feels like maybe the movie took some liberties. Like, did Arthur actually almost die multiple times during the race, or was that Hollywood magic to tug at our heartstrings? I'm not saying it wasn't effective (because, again, tears!), but just wondering if the movie blurred the line between truth and entertainment there. Anyone know the real story better? Or am I just being a grumpy gus? And a smaller thing - what was with that random cameo by Nathalie Emmanuel? I liked her in it, don't get me wrong. It just felt like she was…there? Maybe they needed a 'name' for that doctor role? Anyway, overall I enjoyed it, but that dramatic dog storyline and the slightly-out-of-place cameo have me thinking...