Getting your pets out of a UK airport in three hours is interesting.
Did they not have to undertake 6 months quarantine and have to be collected from the airport in the UK by a registered carrier for transfer into a licensed quarantine facility?
Obtaining an import permit for the UK can only be undertaken via a licensed quarantine facility and follows completion of stringent anti rabies vaccinations. The animal container must carry all the necessary labels and a the key to the container must accompany the animal in order for the airport animal welfare staff to check the animal and for the quarantine facility to place the animal into quarantine.
We recently brought a cat to the UK from Turkey and it cost us (including flights) over £2,500.